Teaching Workshop: Advanced Philosophical Workshop 6
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
This workshop aims to provide students with philosophical tools to identify and oppose problematic discursive devices, such as insinuations, generalizations, code words, slurs and other derogatory labels. Its main goal is twofold: on the one hand, we will investigate the communicative features and the potential social impact of problematic discursive devices; on the other hand, we will discuss strategies to mitigate their harmful effects. The workshop helps students to build transferable skills that are key to a number of professional profiles, including writer and text editor, publicist, and communication manager.
Expected learning outcomes
This workshop helps students to build the following skills:
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
To critically analyze, discuss, and compare philosophical views.
To critically assess sources of information and the reliability of data.
Independent judgment:
To think through complex philosophical views.
To take a position on a certain philosophical issue and develop arguments in its favor.
To collect, correctly interpret, and appropriately use data to make independent, informed, and responsible judgments.
Communication skills:
To efficiently present the results of one's own research, and do so by using information technology when appropriate.
To dialogue in a constructive way with experts from other disciplines to identify and solve complex problems.
To disseminate knowledge and pass on acquired skills to non-specialized audiences.
Learning skills:
To study in an independent way.
To independently and appropriately use sources and basic bibliographic/information tools for philosophical research and scientific updating.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
To critically analyze, discuss, and compare philosophical views.
To critically assess sources of information and the reliability of data.
Independent judgment:
To think through complex philosophical views.
To take a position on a certain philosophical issue and develop arguments in its favor.
To collect, correctly interpret, and appropriately use data to make independent, informed, and responsible judgments.
Communication skills:
To efficiently present the results of one's own research, and do so by using information technology when appropriate.
To dialogue in a constructive way with experts from other disciplines to identify and solve complex problems.
To disseminate knowledge and pass on acquired skills to non-specialized audiences.
Learning skills:
To study in an independent way.
To independently and appropriately use sources and basic bibliographic/information tools for philosophical research and scientific updating.
Lesson period: First semester
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
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Philosophical Tools to Identify and Defuse Biases and Conditioning in Communication
On 16 June 2015, Donald Trump announces his first White House run. In his speech, he proposes, among other things, to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. He justifies the proposal as follows: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems. [ ] They're rapists" (https://time.com/3923128/donald-trump-announcement-speech/). Trump's utterance ("[Mexican immigrants] are rapists") has the same form as utterances such as "Tigers are striped" or "Mosquitoes carry the West Nile virus": generics whose truth conditions are difficult to pinpoint. (How many tigers have to be striped for it to be true that tigers are generally stiped?) In closing, Trump says: "And some, I assume, are good people". Mentioning the possibility of counterexamples gives Trump a way to rebut, within certain limits, allegations of racism. According to some analyses, his closing utterance serves as a discursive "fig leaf": it covers racial prejudice that it isn't advisable to communicate openly.
This workshop examines a number of discursive devices by which speakers contribute, more or less wittingly, to creating and perpetuating unjust social hierarchies. We'll begin by discussing some pragmatic mechanisms, especially implicatures and presuppositions, that enable speakers to convey "under the radar" content. We'll then analyze discursive devices - e.g. insinuations, generalizations, code words, slurs - that employ these mechanisms and can be used to convey discriminatory or otherwise socially dangerous content. We'll conclude by considering some strategies aimed to neutralize or mitigate their harmful potential.
The workshop will take place in the following dates:
- Friday 25 October, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono
- Friday 8 November, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono
- Friday 15 November, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono
- Friday 22 November, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono
- Friday 29 November, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono.
On 16 June 2015, Donald Trump announces his first White House run. In his speech, he proposes, among other things, to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. He justifies the proposal as follows: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems. [ ] They're rapists" (https://time.com/3923128/donald-trump-announcement-speech/). Trump's utterance ("[Mexican immigrants] are rapists") has the same form as utterances such as "Tigers are striped" or "Mosquitoes carry the West Nile virus": generics whose truth conditions are difficult to pinpoint. (How many tigers have to be striped for it to be true that tigers are generally stiped?) In closing, Trump says: "And some, I assume, are good people". Mentioning the possibility of counterexamples gives Trump a way to rebut, within certain limits, allegations of racism. According to some analyses, his closing utterance serves as a discursive "fig leaf": it covers racial prejudice that it isn't advisable to communicate openly.
This workshop examines a number of discursive devices by which speakers contribute, more or less wittingly, to creating and perpetuating unjust social hierarchies. We'll begin by discussing some pragmatic mechanisms, especially implicatures and presuppositions, that enable speakers to convey "under the radar" content. We'll then analyze discursive devices - e.g. insinuations, generalizations, code words, slurs - that employ these mechanisms and can be used to convey discriminatory or otherwise socially dangerous content. We'll conclude by considering some strategies aimed to neutralize or mitigate their harmful potential.
The workshop will take place in the following dates:
- Friday 25 October, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono
- Friday 8 November, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono
- Friday 15 November, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono
- Friday 22 November, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono
- Friday 29 November, 2.30-6.30pm, room 515 - Festa del Perdono.
Prerequisites for admission
No prior knowledge of the topics is required.
Teaching methods
Lectures, individual and/or group exercises, individual and/or group presentations.
Teaching Resources
- Anderson, Luvell, "Resistance and Reclamation: Notorious Thugs", in E. Lepore & L. Anderson (a cura di), The Oxford Handbook of Applied Philosophy of Language, OUP, Oxford 2024, pp. 434-450.
- Bianchi, Claudia, Hate Speech: Il lato oscuro del linguaggio, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2021 [capp. 3 e 4].
- Caponetto, Laura, "Implicature", in E. Paganini (a cura di), Il primo libro di filosofia del linguaggio e della mente, Einaudi, Torino 2022, pp. 109-119.
- Caponetto, Laura, "Espressivi", in E. Paganini (a cura di), Il primo libro di filosofia del linguaggio e della mente, Einaudi, Torino 2022, pp. 120-132.
- Caponetto, Laura, & Cepollaro, Bianca, "The Philosophy of Counter-language", in S. Ullmann & M. Tomalin (a cura di), Counterspeech: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Countering Dangerous Speech, Routledge 2024, London, pp. 50-66.
- Cella, Federico, & Rosola, Martina, "Fuorvianti e resistenti: i generici tra asimmetria inferenziale, scivolosità ed essenzialismo sociale", Rivista di filosofia, in corso di stampa.
- Leslie, S.-J., "'Hillary Clinton is the Only Man in the Obama Administration': Dual Character Concepts, Generics, and Gender", Analytic Philosophy, 56(2), 2015, pp. 111-141.
- Leslie, S.J., "The Original Sin of Cognition: Fear, Prejudice, and Generalization", Journal of Philosophy, 114(8), 2017, pp. 393-421.
- Quaranto, Anne, & Stanley, Jason, "Propaganda", in J. Khoo & R. Sterken (a cura di), The Routledge Handbook of Social and Political Philosophy of Language, Routledge, London 2021, pp. 125-146.
- Saul, Jennifer, "Dogwhistles, Political Manipulation, and Philosophy of Language", in D. Fogal, D.W. Harris, & M. Moss (a cura di), New Work on Speech Acts, OUP, Oxford 2018, pp. 360-383.
- Saul, Jennifer, "Racial and Sexist Figleaves", in J. Khoo & R. Sterken (a cura di), The Routledge Handbook of Social and Political Philosophy of Language, Routledge, London 2021, pp. 161-178.
- Bianchi, Claudia, Hate Speech: Il lato oscuro del linguaggio, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2021 [capp. 3 e 4].
- Caponetto, Laura, "Implicature", in E. Paganini (a cura di), Il primo libro di filosofia del linguaggio e della mente, Einaudi, Torino 2022, pp. 109-119.
- Caponetto, Laura, "Espressivi", in E. Paganini (a cura di), Il primo libro di filosofia del linguaggio e della mente, Einaudi, Torino 2022, pp. 120-132.
- Caponetto, Laura, & Cepollaro, Bianca, "The Philosophy of Counter-language", in S. Ullmann & M. Tomalin (a cura di), Counterspeech: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Countering Dangerous Speech, Routledge 2024, London, pp. 50-66.
- Cella, Federico, & Rosola, Martina, "Fuorvianti e resistenti: i generici tra asimmetria inferenziale, scivolosità ed essenzialismo sociale", Rivista di filosofia, in corso di stampa.
- Leslie, S.-J., "'Hillary Clinton is the Only Man in the Obama Administration': Dual Character Concepts, Generics, and Gender", Analytic Philosophy, 56(2), 2015, pp. 111-141.
- Leslie, S.J., "The Original Sin of Cognition: Fear, Prejudice, and Generalization", Journal of Philosophy, 114(8), 2017, pp. 393-421.
- Quaranto, Anne, & Stanley, Jason, "Propaganda", in J. Khoo & R. Sterken (a cura di), The Routledge Handbook of Social and Political Philosophy of Language, Routledge, London 2021, pp. 125-146.
- Saul, Jennifer, "Dogwhistles, Political Manipulation, and Philosophy of Language", in D. Fogal, D.W. Harris, & M. Moss (a cura di), New Work on Speech Acts, OUP, Oxford 2018, pp. 360-383.
- Saul, Jennifer, "Racial and Sexist Figleaves", in J. Khoo & R. Sterken (a cura di), The Routledge Handbook of Social and Political Philosophy of Language, Routledge, London 2021, pp. 161-178.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Students are assessed on participation in individual and/or group activities and exercises.
Evaluation criteria:
- autonomy of judgment;
- ability to cooperate and work in a team;
- ability to communicate clearly and to deliver effective presentations by using information technology if appropriate;
- ability to summarize content and write clearly and correctly.
Evaluation criteria:
- autonomy of judgment;
- ability to cooperate and work in a team;
- ability to communicate clearly and to deliver effective presentations by using information technology if appropriate;
- ability to summarize content and write clearly and correctly.
Laboratorio Professionalizzante
- University credits: 2
Humanities workshops: 20 hours
Professor:
Caponetto Laura
Ricerca Bibliografica e redazione di un testo scientifico filosofico
- University credits: 1
Humanities workshops: 16 hours
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