Biopolitics: Bodies, Health and Food
A.Y. 2022/2023
Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to provide students with a firm grasp of the ethical and political implications concerning contemporary conceptions of human bodies, human health, and foods. The acquired competences and notions foster abstract reasoning directed to improve decisional procedures in public and private enterprises concerning food politics, food ethics, and the governance of health.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the student has acquired a general understanding of the problems and notions that characterize current bioethical and biopolitical debates concerning human bodies, human health, and food. In addition, the student understands a body of philosophical arguments, can outline possible objections to these arguments and possible solutions to those objections. At the end of the course, the student is able to foresee conceptual problems concerning human bodies, human health, and food, to suggest plausible solutions to those problems and to spell out such solutions in details.
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Lesson period
Third trimester
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
Selected parts of the following readings will be discussed in class:
· Rose, The Politics of Life Itself (2007)
· Haslanger, Resisting Reality (2012)
· Tuomela, Social Ontology (2013)
· Kitcher, Science, Truth, & Democracy (2001)
· Haslanger, Resisting Reality, Chapters (2012)
· Borghini & Casetta, Philosophy of Biology, Chapter 8 (2019)
· Asta, "The Metaphysics of Sex and Gender" (2011)
· Spencer, "Racial Realism I: Are Biological Races Real?" (2017)
· Spencer, "Racial Realism II: Are Folk Races Real?" (2017)
· Murphy, "Concepts of Disease and Health" (2021)
· Pieterman, "The Social Construction of Fat: Care and Control in the Public Concern for Healthy Behaviour" (2007)
· Borghini, "Food in the Metaphysical Orders: Gender, Race, and the Family" (2012)
· Borghini & Piras, "On Interpreting Something as Food" (2020)
· Liboiron & Lepawsky, Discard Studies. Wasting, Systems, and Power, Chapters 1 and 2 (2022)
· Young, "Responsibility and Global Justice: A Social Connection Model" (2006)
· Manne, Down Girl. The Logic of Misogyny (2018)
· Feagin, Systemic Racism. A Theory of Oppression, Chapter 1 (2006)
· Liao & Huebner, "Oppressive Things" (2021)
· Eller, "On Fat Oppression" (2014)
· Dotson, "Tracking Epistemic Violence" (2011)
· Garcia, Gastropolitics, Introduction and Chapter 2 (2020)
· Korthals, "Two Evils in Food Country: Hunger and Lack of Representation" (2012)
· Thompson, From Field to Fork, Chapter 2 (2015)
· Burman, Non-Ideal Social Ontology (2023)
· Jones, "Political Activism and Research Ethics" (2019)
· Hay, "The Obligation to Resist Oppression" (2011)
· Adams, The Sexual Politics of Meat, Part 3 (1990)
· Barnes, The Minority Body, Chapter 6 (2016)
· Cooper, Fat Activism, Part 2 (2021)
· Shah, Refusal to Eat, Chapters 1, 2 and 8 (2022)
· Barnard, Freegans. Diving into the Wealth of Food Waste in America, Introduction and Chapter 2 (2016)
· Rose, The Politics of Life Itself (2007)
· Haslanger, Resisting Reality (2012)
· Tuomela, Social Ontology (2013)
· Kitcher, Science, Truth, & Democracy (2001)
· Haslanger, Resisting Reality, Chapters (2012)
· Borghini & Casetta, Philosophy of Biology, Chapter 8 (2019)
· Asta, "The Metaphysics of Sex and Gender" (2011)
· Spencer, "Racial Realism I: Are Biological Races Real?" (2017)
· Spencer, "Racial Realism II: Are Folk Races Real?" (2017)
· Murphy, "Concepts of Disease and Health" (2021)
· Pieterman, "The Social Construction of Fat: Care and Control in the Public Concern for Healthy Behaviour" (2007)
· Borghini, "Food in the Metaphysical Orders: Gender, Race, and the Family" (2012)
· Borghini & Piras, "On Interpreting Something as Food" (2020)
· Liboiron & Lepawsky, Discard Studies. Wasting, Systems, and Power, Chapters 1 and 2 (2022)
· Young, "Responsibility and Global Justice: A Social Connection Model" (2006)
· Manne, Down Girl. The Logic of Misogyny (2018)
· Feagin, Systemic Racism. A Theory of Oppression, Chapter 1 (2006)
· Liao & Huebner, "Oppressive Things" (2021)
· Eller, "On Fat Oppression" (2014)
· Dotson, "Tracking Epistemic Violence" (2011)
· Garcia, Gastropolitics, Introduction and Chapter 2 (2020)
· Korthals, "Two Evils in Food Country: Hunger and Lack of Representation" (2012)
· Thompson, From Field to Fork, Chapter 2 (2015)
· Burman, Non-Ideal Social Ontology (2023)
· Jones, "Political Activism and Research Ethics" (2019)
· Hay, "The Obligation to Resist Oppression" (2011)
· Adams, The Sexual Politics of Meat, Part 3 (1990)
· Barnes, The Minority Body, Chapter 6 (2016)
· Cooper, Fat Activism, Part 2 (2021)
· Shah, Refusal to Eat, Chapters 1, 2 and 8 (2022)
· Barnard, Freegans. Diving into the Wealth of Food Waste in America, Introduction and Chapter 2 (2016)
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam consists of a final paper as well as an oral exam. Papers will be 3000/4000 words in length and address a specific topic agreed upon with the professor. 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: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Piras Nicola