HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY

To Understand and critically investigate the development of contemporary philosophy in the XIX and XX centuries through the most representative philosophers.

- To be able to have a critical look at the doctrines of the philosophers within an historical framework.

- To be able to argue on their thinking, using appropriate logical and linguistic tools.

Lectures (methodological strategy used: Active learning), Group work, Exercises on philosophical texts.

The following matters will be examined: Mind, Knowledge, Language, Science, Morality, Politics, Law, Metaphysics, the re-enactment of the History of Philosophy.

Module A: The following thinkers will be dealt with through their biographical and philosophical development: Post-Hegelian Schools, Schopehauer, Marx, Husserl, Heidegger, Jaspers, Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, Benjamin, Russell, Wittgenstein, The Vienna Circle, Popper.

Module B: The question of the History/Memory nexus in Water Benjamin's philosophy will be critically analysed.

1) G. Cambiano, M. Mori, Storia della filosofia contemporanea, Laterza, Bari 2014.

2) W. Benjamin, Tesi di filosofia della storia, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2012;

3) W. Benjamin, Angelus Novus, Einaudi, Torino, 2014.

(English versions of these texts are available for Erasmus Students).