Theoretical Philosophy II (2008/2009)

Learning outcomes

This course aims at providing the students with competences in order to elaborate the reasons of philosophical research through the critical comparison with other cultural and search perspectives, in relation with one’s own tradition and with the different special philosophical themes. The main aim is to favour critical reasoning and the interpretation of the different types of knowledge beyond the limits of disciplinary specialization.
In particular the focus will be on the comprehension and discussion of the theoretical orientations that have founded a new way of viewing the principal processes of the development of knowledge.
The course gives for granted the basic notions provided within the course of “History of contemporary philosophy”.

Lectures on Conscience and Thinking.
The program will be divided in two parts:
I) The problem of personal identity in the contemporary Philosophy.
II) Behaviour, Conscience and Thinking. Debating with Merleau-Ponty:
1. Bodily Experience; 2. Syncretic, unmoveable and symbolic behaviours; 3. Learning and behaviour; 4. Knowledge as subjective act; 5. Perception and significance; 6. Body, Thinking and Language; 7. Conscience and Time; 8. Knowledge of the other

Bibliography:
I) R. Bodei, Destini personali. L’età della colonizzazione delle coscienze (Personal Destinies. The Age of the Colonization of consciousness) , Feltrinelli, Milano 2003 o ed. seguenti.
II) M. Merleau-Ponty, Phenomenology of Perception, Preface, Introd. (ch. IV), Part 1 (introd. and ch. V-VI), part 2 (Ch. III-IV), Part 3 (ch. I-III).

Seminar activities and final oral examination. The optional reading of selected parts of the works of Merleau-Ponty in original language will also be valued positively. Similarly, the possible optional reading of one of the teachings contained in Merleau-Ponty à la Sorbonne (Cynara, Paris 1988) will also be valued positively. The texts are available at the Library of the Department of Philosophy, in via S. Francesco 22.