Public Philosophy
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course of Public Philosophy aims to explore political problems from both classical and contemporary perspectives. Its primary objective is to foster the development of evaluative language skills for interpreting political events, which are also to be normatively assessed and not only described. Thus, the fundamental question becomes: what criteria should be deemed desirable for political judgment and action? By learning to compare various normative perspectives students develop their own argumentative abilities.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Explain the problem of the relation between ethics and politics.
2. Describe and explain the differences among the major normative approaches for evaluating political actions and actors (consequentialism and deontological ethics).
3. Explain what it means to judge politically and how it differs from both describing and prescribing.
4. Critically evaluate and construct normative arguments, namely offer justifications in favour of certain normative positions, with respect to political action and facts.
5. Investigate particular political issues by debating contrasting and opposite theses on the bases of academic articles or with respect to specific cases.
1. Explain the problem of the relation between ethics and politics.
2. Describe and explain the differences among the major normative approaches for evaluating political actions and actors (consequentialism and deontological ethics).
3. Explain what it means to judge politically and how it differs from both describing and prescribing.
4. Critically evaluate and construct normative arguments, namely offer justifications in favour of certain normative positions, with respect to political action and facts.
5. Investigate particular political issues by debating contrasting and opposite theses on the bases of academic articles or with respect to specific cases.
Lesson period: First trimester
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
First trimester
Course syllabus
Unit 1
- Introduction: political philosophy and political science; prescriptive and evaluative functions; the perspective of the actor vs. the perspective of the spectator
- Consequentialism and deontological ethics
- The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli
- The right to lie: a dispute between Immanuel Kant and Benjamin Constant
Unit 2
- Politics as vocation, Max Weber
- The problem of dirty hands
- Contemporary perspectives on dirty hands
Unit 3
- Hannah Arendt's theory of action
- Lying and Truth in politics, and the theory of judgment
- Introduction: political philosophy and political science; prescriptive and evaluative functions; the perspective of the actor vs. the perspective of the spectator
- Consequentialism and deontological ethics
- The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli
- The right to lie: a dispute between Immanuel Kant and Benjamin Constant
Unit 2
- Politics as vocation, Max Weber
- The problem of dirty hands
- Contemporary perspectives on dirty hands
Unit 3
- Hannah Arendt's theory of action
- Lying and Truth in politics, and the theory of judgment
Prerequisites for admission
No previous knowledge required.
Teaching methods
- Traditional frontal lectures
- Presentations offered by students on specific texts and cases
- Discussions of case studies and short videos
- Group discussion
- Presentations offered by students on specific texts and cases
- Discussions of case studies and short videos
- Group discussion
Teaching Resources
Attendant students
Unit 1
Machiavelli, N. (1532) The Prince (any edition).
Kant, I. (1797) On a supposed right to lie from philanthropy. In: Gregor MG (ed.) Practical Philosophy. With an Introduction by Allen Wood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Kant, I. (1797-1798) "On Lying", in The Metaphysics of Morals, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Constant, B. (1797) Des Reactions Politiques. In: Constant B. (ed.) De La Force du Gouvernement Actuel de la France. Paris: Flammarion, 1998.
Unit 2
Weber, M. (1919) Politics as vocation (any edition).
Walzer, M. (1973),"Political Action: The Problem of Dirty Hands", Philosophy and Public Affairs, 2 (2): 160-180.
Dershowitz, A. (2002) Why Terrorism Works, Yale University Press, New Haven 2002 ("Introduction" and Chapter 4).
Unit 3
Arendt, H. (1970) On violence, New York, Harcourt.
Arendt, H. (1968) "Truth and Politics" in Between Past and Future, Penguin, London, 2006.
Non attendant students
Unit 1
Neri, D. (2013) La struttura teoretica dell'etica normativa, in Filosofia morale. Manuale introduttivo, Guerini, Milano, 2013.
Machiavelli, N. (1532) The Prince (any edition).
Pasquali, F. (2022) "Machiavelli" in Manuale di Filosofia Politica. Dai Sofisti a Hannah Arendt, Macerata, Quodlibet.
Kant I. (1797) On a supposed right to lie from philanthropy. In: Gregor MG (ed.) Practical Philosophy. With an Introduction by Allen Wood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Pievatolo, M. C. "Annotazione della curatrice" a Sul presunto diritto di mentire per amore dell'umanità: http://btfp.sp.unipi.it/dida/kant_7/ar01s13.xhtml
Kant, I. (1797-1798) "On Lying", in The Metaphysics of Morals, any edition.
Constant B (1797) Des Reactions Politiques. In: Constant B. (ed.) De La Force du Gouvernement Actuel de la France. Paris: Flammarion, 1998.
Unit 2
Weber, M. (1919) Politics as vocation (any edition).
D'andrea, D. (2005) L' incubo degli ultimi uomini. Etica e politica in Max Weber, Roma, Carocci.
Walzer, M. (1973),"Political Action: The Problem of Dirty Hands", Philosophy and Public Affairs, 2 (2): 160-180.
Dershowitz, A. (2002) Why Terrorism Works, Yale University Press, New Haven 2002, Ch. 4.
Unit 3
Arendt, H. (1972) Lying in Politics. Reflections on the "Pentagon Papers", New York, Harcourt.
Unit 1
Machiavelli, N. (1532) The Prince (any edition).
Kant, I. (1797) On a supposed right to lie from philanthropy. In: Gregor MG (ed.) Practical Philosophy. With an Introduction by Allen Wood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Kant, I. (1797-1798) "On Lying", in The Metaphysics of Morals, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Constant, B. (1797) Des Reactions Politiques. In: Constant B. (ed.) De La Force du Gouvernement Actuel de la France. Paris: Flammarion, 1998.
Unit 2
Weber, M. (1919) Politics as vocation (any edition).
Walzer, M. (1973),"Political Action: The Problem of Dirty Hands", Philosophy and Public Affairs, 2 (2): 160-180.
Dershowitz, A. (2002) Why Terrorism Works, Yale University Press, New Haven 2002 ("Introduction" and Chapter 4).
Unit 3
Arendt, H. (1970) On violence, New York, Harcourt.
Arendt, H. (1968) "Truth and Politics" in Between Past and Future, Penguin, London, 2006.
Non attendant students
Unit 1
Neri, D. (2013) La struttura teoretica dell'etica normativa, in Filosofia morale. Manuale introduttivo, Guerini, Milano, 2013.
Machiavelli, N. (1532) The Prince (any edition).
Pasquali, F. (2022) "Machiavelli" in Manuale di Filosofia Politica. Dai Sofisti a Hannah Arendt, Macerata, Quodlibet.
Kant I. (1797) On a supposed right to lie from philanthropy. In: Gregor MG (ed.) Practical Philosophy. With an Introduction by Allen Wood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Pievatolo, M. C. "Annotazione della curatrice" a Sul presunto diritto di mentire per amore dell'umanità: http://btfp.sp.unipi.it/dida/kant_7/ar01s13.xhtml
Kant, I. (1797-1798) "On Lying", in The Metaphysics of Morals, any edition.
Constant B (1797) Des Reactions Politiques. In: Constant B. (ed.) De La Force du Gouvernement Actuel de la France. Paris: Flammarion, 1998.
Unit 2
Weber, M. (1919) Politics as vocation (any edition).
D'andrea, D. (2005) L' incubo degli ultimi uomini. Etica e politica in Max Weber, Roma, Carocci.
Walzer, M. (1973),"Political Action: The Problem of Dirty Hands", Philosophy and Public Affairs, 2 (2): 160-180.
Dershowitz, A. (2002) Why Terrorism Works, Yale University Press, New Haven 2002, Ch. 4.
Unit 3
Arendt, H. (1972) Lying in Politics. Reflections on the "Pentagon Papers", New York, Harcourt.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Attendant students
For attendant students, evaluation will be based on an in class presentation (30%) and a final written test (70%) to be taken at the end of the course. The test is constituted by two parts. In the first part, students are asked to answer five open questions regarding the major problems and basic notions of the issues covered by the course. In the second part of the written test, students are required to answer one essay question (minimum half a page) in order to apply the knowledge acquired to a case or a particular political situation.
Non attendant students
Non attendant students are required to take a written test constituted by two parts. In the first part, students are asked to answer five open questions regarding the major problems and basic notions of the issues covered by the course. In the second part of the written test, students are required to answer one essay question (minimum half a page) in order to apply the knowledge acquired from the studying of the texts proposed to a case or a particular political situation.
For attendant students, evaluation will be based on an in class presentation (30%) and a final written test (70%) to be taken at the end of the course. The test is constituted by two parts. In the first part, students are asked to answer five open questions regarding the major problems and basic notions of the issues covered by the course. In the second part of the written test, students are required to answer one essay question (minimum half a page) in order to apply the knowledge acquired to a case or a particular political situation.
Non attendant students
Non attendant students are required to take a written test constituted by two parts. In the first part, students are asked to answer five open questions regarding the major problems and basic notions of the issues covered by the course. In the second part of the written test, students are required to answer one essay question (minimum half a page) in order to apply the knowledge acquired from the studying of the texts proposed to a case or a particular political situation.
SPS/01 - POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Bistagnino Giulia
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Bistagnino GiuliaProfessor(s)
Reception:
Tuesday, 2.30 pm-5.30 pm. ATTENTION: office hours to be held on Tuesday July 23 are postponed to Wednesday July 24. They will take place online ONLY and will be the last session before the summer.
Office hours are held online (via MS Teams) or on campus by appointment via email (Dept. of Social and Political sciences, 2nd floor, room 205).