Academic year: 2022-23
Course: Foundation Course Humanities
Credits: 3
Period: first semester
Number of hours: 24
Teacher(s): Annamaria Lossi ( lossi@iol.it )
Language of instruction English
Learning outcomes
The module in Introduction to Philosophical Thought aims at giving a global historical and theoretical outline of philosophy from the Antiquity. In this module foreign students will become familiar with philosophical concepts getting an elementary idea of the complex framework where Western thought can be inscribed. The general aim of the course is therefore to describe the main concepts historically and theoretically starting from the Greek origins.
Knowledge
The course will provide a brief overview on the most relevant concepts in Greek philosophy, especially in Plato and Aristotle.
Assessment criteria of knowledge
By the end of the course Students should be able to examine a philosophical text being aware of the narrative forms and specific language of expressing philosophy as a determined discourse with own theoretic features.
Skills
Students will be encouraged to reflect on philosophical textuality as eminent example of theoretical and argumentative narration.
Assessment criteria of skills
By the end of the course Students should be able to interpret a given philosophical text.
Behaviors
Conducting debate on philosophy and connect topical issues of the texts which have to be examined during the lectures. erequisites
No prerequisites are required for this course.
Syllabus
1. Introduction to Philosophy: a problem of approach and approaches
2. Ancient philosophy: the archaic philosophers (part I)
3. Ancient philosophy: the archaic philosophers (part II)
4. Plato and Aristotle: an introduction to classical philosophy
5. Plato’s myth of the cave: reading and analysis
6. Plato’s myth of the cave: reading and analysis
7. Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
8. Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
9. Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book I. Conclusions and information about the papers and exam (longer lecture)
Bibliography
Slides and works uploaded by the lecturer
Assessment methods
Attendance and active participation (20%)
Paper (40%)
Final oral exam (40%).