Biopolitics: Bodies, Health and Food
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to provide students with the core knowledge and understanding of philosophical theories that adapt concepts from the life sciences to address issues related to civic society and its institutions. The acquired competences and notions are of use for activities that primarily rest on logical reasoning, activities of communication, and editorial activities.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
At the end of the course, the student has acquired a general understanding of the concepts from the life sciences that are employed in reference to civic society and its institutions. In addition, the student understands a body of philosophical arguments related to the application of such concepts, can outline possible objections to these arguments and possible solutions to those objections.
Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding
At the end of the course, the student is able to formulate original philosophical problems in connection to the concepts and the language of biopolitics, to suggest plausible solutions to those problems and to spell out such solutions in details.
At the end of the course, the student has acquired a general understanding of the concepts from the life sciences that are employed in reference to civic society and its institutions. In addition, the student understands a body of philosophical arguments related to the application of such concepts, can outline possible objections to these arguments and possible solutions to those objections.
Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding
At the end of the course, the student is able to formulate original philosophical problems in connection to the concepts and the language of biopolitics, to suggest plausible solutions to those problems and to spell out such solutions in details.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
Specific aspects of a human body, like skin color or primary sexual traits, have played a substantial function in defining the political agency of individuals and groups as well as in shaping societal institution. In this course we study the ideas and arguments that found the attribution of political significance to certain biological conditions, rethinking the role that such conditions have or should have. The course builds on the examination of several classical and contemporary case studies and readings, which relate to specific aspects of human bodies, human health, and human diets.
Prerequisites for admission
None.
Teaching methods
Classes will consist of a mix of lecturing and seminarial discussion. They will make use of slides, videos and images. Class materials will be made available on the Ariel site for the course.
Teaching Resources
Selections from the following readings will be discussed in class:
Mbembe, Necropolitics (2003)
Rose, The Politics of Life Itself, Chapters 1 and 2 (2007)
Borghini & Casetta, Philosophy of Biology, Chapter 8 (2019)
Fausto-Sterling, "The Five Sexes" (1993)
Butler, "Performative Acts and Gender Constitution" (1990)
Rich, "Taking Women Students Seriously" (1979)
Mills, "Black Radical Kantianism" (2018)
Asta, "The Metaphysics of Sex and Gender" (2011)
Spencer, "Racial Realism I: Are Biological Races Real?"
Spencer, "Racial Realism II: Are Folk Races Real?"
Karimi, "Dwelling, Dispute, and the Space in Modern Iran" (2012)
Sen, "Walking the Field in Milwaukee" (2020)
Haslanger, Resisting Reality, Chapters 7-11 (2012)
Agrest, "Achitecture From Without: Body, Logic, and Sex" (1988)
Low, "Placemaking and Embodied Space" (2014)
Foucault, "Of Other Spaces: Utopias and Heterotopias" (1967)
Hall et al., "Implicit Racial/Ethnic Bias" (2015)
Criado Perez, Invisible Women, Chapters 10 and 11 (2019)
Burgess, Cappelen, Plunkett, A Guided Tour of Conceptual Engineering and Conceptual Ethics, "Introduction" (2020)
Beaudry, "Beyond (Models of) Disability?" (2016)
Bracken & Thomas, "From Szasz to Foucault: On the Role of Critical Psychiatry" (2010)
Murphy, The Economization of Life, Chapters 1-4, 10 (2017)
Kukla, "Finding Autonomy in Birth" (2009)
Fibieger Byskov, "What Makes Epistemic Injustice an "Injustice"?" (2020)
Jarvis-Thomson, "A Defense of Abortion" (1971)
Barnhill et al., "The Value of Unhealthy Eating and the Ethics of Healthy Eating Policies" (2014)
Stefánsdóttir, "Three Positions on the Fat Body" (2020)
Degeling, Dawson, Gilbert, "The Ethics of One Health" (2019)
Shue & Arnold, "Human rights, climate change, and the trillionth ton" (2011)
Dean, "In Defense of Mindless Eating" (2021)
Borghini, Piras, Serini, "Food, Philosophy, and Climate Change" (2021)
Borghini, Piras, Serini, "A Gradient Framework for Wild Foods" (2021)
Bonotti et al., "The Justice and Ontology of Gastrospaces" (2023)
Mbembe, Necropolitics (2003)
Rose, The Politics of Life Itself, Chapters 1 and 2 (2007)
Borghini & Casetta, Philosophy of Biology, Chapter 8 (2019)
Fausto-Sterling, "The Five Sexes" (1993)
Butler, "Performative Acts and Gender Constitution" (1990)
Rich, "Taking Women Students Seriously" (1979)
Mills, "Black Radical Kantianism" (2018)
Asta, "The Metaphysics of Sex and Gender" (2011)
Spencer, "Racial Realism I: Are Biological Races Real?"
Spencer, "Racial Realism II: Are Folk Races Real?"
Karimi, "Dwelling, Dispute, and the Space in Modern Iran" (2012)
Sen, "Walking the Field in Milwaukee" (2020)
Haslanger, Resisting Reality, Chapters 7-11 (2012)
Agrest, "Achitecture From Without: Body, Logic, and Sex" (1988)
Low, "Placemaking and Embodied Space" (2014)
Foucault, "Of Other Spaces: Utopias and Heterotopias" (1967)
Hall et al., "Implicit Racial/Ethnic Bias" (2015)
Criado Perez, Invisible Women, Chapters 10 and 11 (2019)
Burgess, Cappelen, Plunkett, A Guided Tour of Conceptual Engineering and Conceptual Ethics, "Introduction" (2020)
Beaudry, "Beyond (Models of) Disability?" (2016)
Bracken & Thomas, "From Szasz to Foucault: On the Role of Critical Psychiatry" (2010)
Murphy, The Economization of Life, Chapters 1-4, 10 (2017)
Kukla, "Finding Autonomy in Birth" (2009)
Fibieger Byskov, "What Makes Epistemic Injustice an "Injustice"?" (2020)
Jarvis-Thomson, "A Defense of Abortion" (1971)
Barnhill et al., "The Value of Unhealthy Eating and the Ethics of Healthy Eating Policies" (2014)
Stefánsdóttir, "Three Positions on the Fat Body" (2020)
Degeling, Dawson, Gilbert, "The Ethics of One Health" (2019)
Shue & Arnold, "Human rights, climate change, and the trillionth ton" (2011)
Dean, "In Defense of Mindless Eating" (2021)
Borghini, Piras, Serini, "Food, Philosophy, and Climate Change" (2021)
Borghini, Piras, Serini, "A Gradient Framework for Wild Foods" (2021)
Bonotti et al., "The Justice and Ontology of Gastrospaces" (2023)
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam consists of a written exercise as well as an oral exam. The written exercise will address a specific topic agreed upon with the professor and include: the pitch of an original topic; a short, curated and annotated bibliography; a short paper. Detailed guidelines will be distributed in the Ariel site for the course. The final exam will test student's acquisition of the central concepts discussed throughout the course as well as the student's ability to construct arguments and to reason on the ideas discussed during the course.
M-FIL/05 - PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY OF LANGUAGE - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Borghini Andrea
Professor(s)