History of Philosophical Concepts a.y. 2025-2026 – Scienze dell'Educazione e della Formazione (EDU)

Teacher: Prof. Pasquale Terracciano
E-mail: pasquale.terracciano@uniroma2.it

CFU: 6
Course code: 804002748
Bachelor Degrees: Scienze dell’Educazione e della Formazione
Language: Italian

Course delivery modalities: in-presence
Attendance: Optional
Assessment method: Oral examination

Pre-requisites:
No previous knowledge is required.

Program:
The course will provide the basic knowledge to understand the subject matter of the main areas of philosophical reflection. The history of philosophy and philosophical concepts will also be problematized, highlighting the plurality of the discipline and the branches of different traditions that characterize it. Within the course, specific attention will be devoted to the analysis of two classics of ancient philosophy—Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Politics—in order to bring to light a specific model of philosophical paideia.

Program:

The course will provide the basic knowledge to understand the subject matter of the main areas of philosophical reflection. The history of philosophy and philosophical concepts will also be problematized, highlighting the plurality of the discipline and the branches of different traditions that characterize it.
Within the course, specific attention will be devoted to the analysis of two classics of ancient philosophy—Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Politics—in order to bring to light a specific model of philosophical paideia.

Text books:
N. Warburton, Il mio primo libro di filosofia, Torino, Einaudi 2007 Aristotele, Politics Aristotele, Nicomachean Ethics During the course, some sessions will be dedicated to the foundational texts of the history of philosophy through seminar work involving in-depth study and discussion around the following text: N. Warburton, Breve storia della filosofia, Salani, Milano 2013 Students who do not wish to participate in the seminar sessions will have to study these texts independently and discuss them during the exam. – extracts of which will be provided on didattica web/teams teaching platform –

Text books:

N. Warburton, Il mio primo libro di filosofia, Torino, Einaudi 2007
Aristotele, Politics
Aristotele, Nicomachean Ethics
During the course, some sessions will be dedicated to the foundational texts of the history of philosophy through seminar work involving in-depth study and discussion around the following text:
N. Warburton, Breve storia della filosofia, Salani, Milano 2013
Students who do not wish to participate in the seminar sessions will have to study these texts independently and discuss them during the exam.
– extracts of which will be provided on didattica web/teams teaching platform –

Bibliography:
N. Warburton, Breve storia della filosofia, Salani, Milano 2013 N. Warburton, Il mio primo libro di filosofia, Torino, Einaudi 2007 Aristotele, Politics Aristotele, Nicomachean Ethics

Educational goals and expected learning outcomes:
LEARNING OUTCOMES: The main educational objective is to acquire adequate knowledge of the debate on the history of concepts and ideas, which can provide both a pluralistic view of philosophy and familiarity with the philosophical framework of specific categories of thought. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Ability to understand and analyze the stages of philosophical chronology and its turning points. Ability to read texts and situate them in their context. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: The course will enable critical evaluation and comparison of different theoretical perspectives. The ways to reconstruct the history of philosophical thought are multiple, and the very idea of teaching philosophy as the history of philosophy is neither obvious nor neutral. The course aims to provide the historical and theoretical tools for understanding these debates through the examination of fundamental texts and relevant secondary literature. MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Development of critical thinking skills and sensitivity in historicizing cultural phenomena. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Ability to acquire specific philosophical terminology. .

Educational goals and expected learning outcomes:

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The main educational objective is to acquire adequate knowledge of the debate on the history of concepts and ideas, which can provide both a pluralistic view of philosophy and familiarity with the philosophical framework of specific categories of thought.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Ability to understand and analyze the stages of philosophical chronology and its turning points. Ability to read texts and situate them in their context.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: The course will enable critical evaluation and comparison of different theoretical perspectives. The ways to reconstruct the history of philosophical thought are multiple, and the very idea of teaching philosophy as the history of philosophy is neither obvious nor neutral. The course aims to provide the historical and theoretical tools for understanding these debates through the examination of fundamental texts and relevant secondary literature.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Development of critical thinking skills and sensitivity in historicizing cultural phenomena.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Ability to acquire specific philosophical terminology.
.

Methods and criteria for verifying the learning:
The exam assesses the student’s overall preparation, the ability to combine knowledge about each part of the syllabus, the coherence of argumentation, the analytical ability, and the autonomy of judgment. In addition, the student’s command of language and clarity of presentation are also assessed, in adherence with the Dublin descriptors (1. knowledge and understanding; 2. applying knowledge and experience; 3. making judgments; 4. learning skills; 5: communication skills). The final grade will be based 70% on the student’s depth of knowledge and 30% on the student’s ability for expression (written and oral) and independent critical thinking. The exam will be evaluated according to the following criteria: – Failed: significant deficiencies and inaccuracies in the knowledge and the understanding of the subject matter; poor analytical and synthesizing skills, recurrent generalizations, limited critical and judgmental skills; the arguments are exposed inconsistently and with inappropriate language. – 18-20: Knowledge and understanding of topics barely adequate, with occasional generalizations and imperfections possible; sufficient capacity for analysis synthesis and autonomy of judgment, the arguments are frequently exposed in an incoherent manner and with inappropriate/non technical language. – 21-23: Fair knowledge and understanding of the subject; proper analysis and synthesis skills with coherent, logical argumentation, but with language that is often inappropriate/non technical. – 24-26: Moderate knowledge and understanding of the subjects; good analytical and synthesis skills with arguments expressed rigorously but with language that is not always appropriate/technical. – 27-29: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subjects; remarkable analytical and synthesis skills. Good autonomy of judgment. Topics expounded rigorously and with appropriate/technical language. 30-30L: Excellent level of in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subjects. Excellent skills in analysis, synthesis, and independent judgment. Arguments are expressed in an original way and with appropriate technical language.

Methods and criteria for verifying the learning:

The exam assesses the student’s overall preparation, the ability to combine knowledge about each part of the syllabus, the coherence of argumentation, the analytical ability, and the autonomy of judgment. In addition, the student’s command of language and clarity of presentation are also assessed, in adherence with the Dublin descriptors (1. knowledge and understanding; 2. applying knowledge and experience; 3. making judgments; 4. learning skills; 5: communication skills).
The final grade will be based 70% on the student’s depth of knowledge and 30% on the student’s ability for expression (written and oral) and independent critical thinking.
The exam will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
– Failed: significant deficiencies and inaccuracies in the knowledge and the understanding of the subject matter; poor analytical and synthesizing skills, recurrent generalizations, limited critical and judgmental skills; the arguments are exposed inconsistently and with inappropriate language.
– 18-20: Knowledge and understanding of topics barely adequate, with occasional generalizations and imperfections possible; sufficient capacity for analysis synthesis and autonomy of judgment, the arguments are frequently exposed in an incoherent manner and with inappropriate/non technical language.
– 21-23: Fair knowledge and understanding of the subject; proper analysis and synthesis skills with coherent, logical argumentation, but with language that is often inappropriate/non technical.
– 24-26: Moderate knowledge and understanding of the subjects; good analytical and synthesis skills with arguments expressed rigorously but with language that is not always appropriate/technical.
– 27-29: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subjects; remarkable analytical and synthesis skills. Good autonomy of judgment. Topics expounded rigorously and with appropriate/technical language.
30-30L: Excellent level of in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subjects. Excellent skills in analysis, synthesis, and independent judgment. Arguments are expressed in an original way and with appropriate technical language.

Attendance modalities:
Lectures with slides. Group discussion of topics and texts. Attendance and participating to topic discussions.