History of Political Philosophy
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with a solid basic knowledge of the history of political philosophy. Students will acquire skills in textual and conceptual analysis. They will be able to place the classics of political philosophy in their philosophical, linguistic and historical contexts. They will also be able to deal with the main historiographical interpretations, showing thereby that they have acquired good hermeneutic competences.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- understand the concepts and lines of argument used by classical authors;
- make use of a reasonable knowledge of the fundamental aspects of the history of Western political philosophy from antiquity to the present day (with special focus on the classics);
- know the fundamental lexicon of political philosophy in its historical development;
- explain the links between the history of political philosophy and its historical context;
- master the basic methodological tools of the research in history political philosophy.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- apply the understanding of concepts and argumentative forms to the analysis of complex texts written by political philosophers;
- apply the knowledge acquired studying specific texts and authors to the historical understanding and philosophical contextualization of other works and thinkers;
- apply the political-philosophical lexicon to the analysis and discussion of contemporary problems;
- apply the understanding of the historical relationships between political thought and other forms of knowledge to the analysis and discussion of texts and problems;
- make use of basic methodological tools and bibliographic resources to the preparation of a scientific paper in the political-philosophical domain.
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- understand the concepts and lines of argument used by classical authors;
- make use of a reasonable knowledge of the fundamental aspects of the history of Western political philosophy from antiquity to the present day (with special focus on the classics);
- know the fundamental lexicon of political philosophy in its historical development;
- explain the links between the history of political philosophy and its historical context;
- master the basic methodological tools of the research in history political philosophy.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- apply the understanding of concepts and argumentative forms to the analysis of complex texts written by political philosophers;
- apply the knowledge acquired studying specific texts and authors to the historical understanding and philosophical contextualization of other works and thinkers;
- apply the political-philosophical lexicon to the analysis and discussion of contemporary problems;
- apply the understanding of the historical relationships between political thought and other forms of knowledge to the analysis and discussion of texts and problems;
- make use of basic methodological tools and bibliographic resources to the preparation of a scientific paper in the political-philosophical domain.
Lesson period: First semester
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 semester
Course syllabus
After introducing the main concepts and key issues in the history of political philosophy, the course will examine two major traditions that played a decisive role in the development of early modern political thought: political realism and utopian thought.
The tradition of political realism will be explored through an in-depth study of two classics of political philosophy: Niccolò Machiavelli's "The Prince" and Thomas Hobbes's "De Cive". The utopian tradition, by contrast, will be examined through Thomas More's "Utopia" and Margaret Cavendish's "The Blazing World", one of the earliest female-authored and proto-feminist utopian works of the early modern period.
Several lectures will also be devoted to a critical examination of the concepts of realism and utopia, exploring their historical development and the ways in which their meanings have evolved over time.
The tradition of political realism will be explored through an in-depth study of two classics of political philosophy: Niccolò Machiavelli's "The Prince" and Thomas Hobbes's "De Cive". The utopian tradition, by contrast, will be examined through Thomas More's "Utopia" and Margaret Cavendish's "The Blazing World", one of the earliest female-authored and proto-feminist utopian works of the early modern period.
Several lectures will also be devoted to a critical examination of the concepts of realism and utopia, exploring their historical development and the ways in which their meanings have evolved over time.
Prerequisites for admission
No previous knowledge is necessary.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons, class discussion, student short presentations
Teaching Resources
Examination Syllabus for Attending Students
Common syllabus for both the 6-CFU and 9-CFU courses
S. Petrucciani, Modelli di Filosofia politica, Torino, Einaudi, 2003: Chapters I, II, IV, V, VII (course textbook)
N. Machiavelli, Il Principe, nuova ed. a cura di G. Inglese, Torino, Einaudi, 2013
T. Hobbes, De cive. Elementi filosofici sul cittadino, a cura di T. Magri, Roma, Editori Riuniti University Press, 2009: lettera dedicatoria, prefazione ai lettori, prima parte (libertà), seconda parte (potere)
Additional readings for the 9-CFU course
T. Moro, L'Utopia, pref. di M. Isnardi Parente, introd. di T. Fiore, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012
M. Cavendish, Il mondo sfavillante, introd. e trad. e note a cura di M.G. Nicolosi, Milano, VandA Edizioni, 2023
Examination Syllabus for Non-Attending Students
Common syllabus for both the 6-CFU and 9-CFU courses
S. Petrucciani, Modelli di Filosofia politica, Torino, Einaudi, 2003: Chapters I, II, IV, V, VII (course textbook)
N. Machiavelli, Il Principe, nuova ed. a cura di G. Inglese, Torino, Einaudi, 2013
T. Hobbes, De cive. Elementi filosofici sul cittadino, a cura di T. Magri, Roma, Editori Riuniti University Press, 2009: lettera dedicatoria, prefazione ai lettori, prima parte (libertà), seconda parte (potere)
P. Portinaro, Il realismo politico, nuova ed., Brescia, Morcelliana, 2023
Additional readings for the 9-CFU course
T. Moro, L'Utopia, pref. di M. Isnardi Parente, introd. di T. Fiore, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012
M. Cavendish, Il mondo sfavillante, introd. e trad. e note a cura di M.G. Nicolosi, Milano, VandA Edizioni, 2023
V. Ivo Comparato, Utopia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005 OR C. Altini, Utopia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2013
Optional Further Reading (for all students)
Q. Skinner, Machiavelli, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1999
N. Bobbio, Thomas Hobbes, Torino, Einaudi, 2004, Chapter II (La teoria politica di Hobbes)
M.G. Sestito, Introduzione, in M. Cavendish, Bell In Campo, «Quaderni di Scienza & Politica», 2024, n. 14, available online:
https://amsacta.unibo.it/id/eprint/7594/1/Quad%2014%20SESTITO%20depositato.pdf
General Information
The study of the teaching materials distributed during lectures and made available on the course's Ariel webpage, as well as the prefaces and introductions included in the editions of the assigned texts, constitutes an integral part of the examination preparation.
Please note: The list of texts included in the syllabus is provisional and will be confirmed after the first classes of the course.
Common syllabus for both the 6-CFU and 9-CFU courses
S. Petrucciani, Modelli di Filosofia politica, Torino, Einaudi, 2003: Chapters I, II, IV, V, VII (course textbook)
N. Machiavelli, Il Principe, nuova ed. a cura di G. Inglese, Torino, Einaudi, 2013
T. Hobbes, De cive. Elementi filosofici sul cittadino, a cura di T. Magri, Roma, Editori Riuniti University Press, 2009: lettera dedicatoria, prefazione ai lettori, prima parte (libertà), seconda parte (potere)
Additional readings for the 9-CFU course
T. Moro, L'Utopia, pref. di M. Isnardi Parente, introd. di T. Fiore, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012
M. Cavendish, Il mondo sfavillante, introd. e trad. e note a cura di M.G. Nicolosi, Milano, VandA Edizioni, 2023
Examination Syllabus for Non-Attending Students
Common syllabus for both the 6-CFU and 9-CFU courses
S. Petrucciani, Modelli di Filosofia politica, Torino, Einaudi, 2003: Chapters I, II, IV, V, VII (course textbook)
N. Machiavelli, Il Principe, nuova ed. a cura di G. Inglese, Torino, Einaudi, 2013
T. Hobbes, De cive. Elementi filosofici sul cittadino, a cura di T. Magri, Roma, Editori Riuniti University Press, 2009: lettera dedicatoria, prefazione ai lettori, prima parte (libertà), seconda parte (potere)
P. Portinaro, Il realismo politico, nuova ed., Brescia, Morcelliana, 2023
Additional readings for the 9-CFU course
T. Moro, L'Utopia, pref. di M. Isnardi Parente, introd. di T. Fiore, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012
M. Cavendish, Il mondo sfavillante, introd. e trad. e note a cura di M.G. Nicolosi, Milano, VandA Edizioni, 2023
V. Ivo Comparato, Utopia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005 OR C. Altini, Utopia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2013
Optional Further Reading (for all students)
Q. Skinner, Machiavelli, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1999
N. Bobbio, Thomas Hobbes, Torino, Einaudi, 2004, Chapter II (La teoria politica di Hobbes)
M.G. Sestito, Introduzione, in M. Cavendish, Bell In Campo, «Quaderni di Scienza & Politica», 2024, n. 14, available online:
https://amsacta.unibo.it/id/eprint/7594/1/Quad%2014%20SESTITO%20depositato.pdf
General Information
The study of the teaching materials distributed during lectures and made available on the course's Ariel webpage, as well as the prefaces and introductions included in the editions of the assigned texts, constitutes an integral part of the examination preparation.
Please note: The list of texts included in the syllabus is provisional and will be confirmed after the first classes of the course.
Assessment methods and Criteria
At the end of the course, students are required to take an oral examination consisting of two parts, both of which must be completed during the same examination session.
The first part assesses students' knowledge of the main developments in the history of political philosophy as presented in the course textbook (Petrucciani). The second part evaluates their thorough knowledge of the other texts included in the syllabus and their ability to identify and discuss the main philosophical and political issues addressed in those works.
More specifically, during the second part of the oral examination, students will be expected to:
reconstruct the conceptual framework and the general argumentative strategies employed in the works of Machiavelli, Hobbes, More, and Cavendish;
analyse and comment on selected key passages from these texts, which students are therefore required to bring with them to the examination (explaining the meaning of key concepts, identifying internal tensions and problematic aspects, drawing connections with other passages, etc.);
present and discuss the main arguments developed in the assigned secondary literature, where included in the syllabus.
The oral examination will assess:
knowledge of the history of political philosophy and political theory;
ability to analyse philosophical concepts;
independent critical judgement and the ability to apply theoretical concepts;
communication skills and the appropriate use of academic language.
Students attending the course may, if they wish, replace the first part of the oral examination with a mid-term written examination consisting of open-ended questions based on the course textbook (Petrucciani). In this case, the final grade (awarded on a 30-point scale) will be calculated as the average of the grades obtained in the written mid-term examination and the oral examination.
The first part assesses students' knowledge of the main developments in the history of political philosophy as presented in the course textbook (Petrucciani). The second part evaluates their thorough knowledge of the other texts included in the syllabus and their ability to identify and discuss the main philosophical and political issues addressed in those works.
More specifically, during the second part of the oral examination, students will be expected to:
reconstruct the conceptual framework and the general argumentative strategies employed in the works of Machiavelli, Hobbes, More, and Cavendish;
analyse and comment on selected key passages from these texts, which students are therefore required to bring with them to the examination (explaining the meaning of key concepts, identifying internal tensions and problematic aspects, drawing connections with other passages, etc.);
present and discuss the main arguments developed in the assigned secondary literature, where included in the syllabus.
The oral examination will assess:
knowledge of the history of political philosophy and political theory;
ability to analyse philosophical concepts;
independent critical judgement and the ability to apply theoretical concepts;
communication skills and the appropriate use of academic language.
Students attending the course may, if they wish, replace the first part of the oral examination with a mid-term written examination consisting of open-ended questions based on the course textbook (Petrucciani). In this case, the final grade (awarded on a 30-point scale) will be calculated as the average of the grades obtained in the written mid-term examination and the oral examination.
Modules or teaching units
Parte A e B
GSPS-03/A - History of Political Thought - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Parte C
GSPS-03/A - History of Political Thought - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
Thursday, 14.00-17.00. Please, write an e-mail to arrange an appointment.
Teams and/or office