Enrollment year
2017/2018
Academic discipline
M-FIL/01 (THEORETICAL PHILOSOPHY)
Department
DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES
Curriculum
PERCORSO COMUNE
Period
1st semester (25/09/2017 - 10/01/2018)
Lesson hours
36 lesson hours
Prerequisites
Having passed the examination in Theoretical Philosophy.
Learning outcomes
The course aims to provide the means to acquire the basic concepts of the discipline, and the attitude at critical thinking.
Course contents
The concept of life. Some philosophical issues.
The theme of life is gaining increasing importance in today's society, especially as a result of technological developments. However there is no agreement among scientists on the very definition of the concept of life and living. In this perspective, it is useful to reflect on some problems deriving from the prevailing biological perspective, where life is synonymous with genetic heritage. Starting from a seminal text by Erwin Schrödinger, What Is Life ?, which inspired generations of scientists and philosophers, and outlines the reductionist approach regarding the relationship between matter and life, then other perspectives will be considered. Starting from the discussion of ideas contained in H. Bergson's Creative Evolution, elaborated by G. Canguilhem and G. Deleuze, the course is then directed to the in-depth analysis of a capital text by H. Jonas, Organism and Freedom, in order to highlight its importance for the current debate in epistemology of life sciences but also in bioethics and ontology.
Teaching methods
Lectures, seminars.
The teacher presents the main concepts contained in the texts analyzed in class, and critically discusses the meaning with the aim of outlining its implications. The seminar structure favors the personal discussion in order to have a profound appropriation and a comparative assessment of the theses investigated.
Reccomended or required readings
Main texts:
E. Schrödinger, Che cosa è la vita?, Adelphi, Milano 1995.
H. Bergson, L'evoluzione creatrice, Cortina, Milano 2002.
G. Deleuze - G. Canguilhem, Il significato della vita, Mimesis, Milano 2006.
H. Jonas, Organismo e libertà, Einaudi, Torino 1999.
Further reading:
D. Steila, Vita-Morte, Il Mulino, Bologna 2009.
Assessment methods
Written examination.
The exam consists in the drafting of a paper (at least 20000 characters long) that critically discusses some of the problems encountered during the lectures, making a personal choice that forms part of the test. The student must show preparation, understanding the texts and problems examined, and personal appropriation skills of the fundamental implications of the ideas discussed in class.
Further information
Written examination.
The exam consists in the drafting of a paper (at least 20000 characters long) that critically discusses some of the problems encountered during the lectures, making a personal choice that forms part of the test. The student must show preparation, understanding the texts and problems examined, and personal appropriation skills of the fundamental implications of the ideas discussed in class.
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