Theoretical Philosophy (2017/2018)

Learning outcomes

Philosophy means: you think (only) through questions. To do philosophy means to bet on the living bond among thinking, asking and speaking.
This kind of reflection concerns those questions that emerge around the human behavior. The issues are discussed taking into account the historical context, but with prevailing theoretical commitment. Knowledge and various skills (historical, political, legal, theological) are part of this discipline as proper setting for further interdisciplinary developments.

By the end of the course the students should have developed autonomy of judgment in order to elaborate an autonomous reflection, argumentative language skills, and understanding of the texts, but also to be able to applicate the concepts so developed to the problems of the contemporaneity.

Paranoia and imaginary. President Schreber's case

The most influent intellectuals of the Twentieth Century – Freud, Jung, Canetti, Deleuze, Guattari and others – have reflected on the case of President Schreber and of his Memories.
This year we will address the issue of the notion of imaginary as it emerges from Schreber’s paranoia. We will read and analyze two contrasting readings: the first by Sigmund Freud and the second by Elias Canetti. The first is concerned with a psychoanalytic processing of the case; the second faces to his political implications. It will be part of the course an in-depth study of the image and the imaginary theme, developed through Buster Keaton’s movies.

Bibliography (frequentanti e non frequentanti):
- Sigmund Freud, Casi clinici. Vol. 6: Il presidente Schreber, Bollati Boringhieri, 1986.
- Elias Canetti, cap. "Sovranità e paranoia", in Massa e potere, Adelphi, 2015.
- Gianluca Solla, Buster Keaton. L'invenzione del gesto, Orthotes, 2016.
* Students not attending classes please read also chapters I-V, (ed. it. pp. 27-82) of Schrebers Memories.

For students who will attend classes as well as for students not attending the classes, the contents of the textbooks, as well as the lessons and exercises held in the classroom, are part of the program. Any additional teaching materials will be reported by the end of the course and, where possible, made available on the online teaching platform.
* Students don't attending the course contact please the teacher to discuss during consultation hours about doubts and questions concerning their preparation for the exam.

Teaching method
Teaching method will consist in frontal lessons dedicated to an analysis of the conceptuality involved in the subject of the course and also an analysis of the texts listed in the bibliography, in order to identify concepts that are applicable to the contemporary issues, with particular regard to the future work’s prospective of students. For attending students, in addition to the texts mentioned in the bibliography, an active presence and participation in the lessons is to be considered an integral part of the course.
Meeting hours for students are scheduled during the whole academic year: days and hours may be found at the personal webpage of the teacher, and are constantly updated. Any variation will be promptly communicated in the News section of the teacher’s personal webpage.

In order to pass the oral exam, students will show that:
- they possess a deep knowledge of the main specific issues developed during the course;
- they possess also the capacity to make an independent reflection – using a pertinent and appropriate language – on implications of such issues, especially in reference to their specific university education and professional prospects.

The competence of all students, either those who attended the course or those who didn’t, will be valued through an oral examination about the specific topics and questions discussed during the classes. The final score will be expressed in /30s.

STUDENT MODULE EVALUATION - 2017/2018