Modern History
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
The course intends to address the problems related to the political, economic and social dynamics of the early-modern age states from the mid-15th century to the revolutionary age and the new order imposed with the Congress of Vienna. At a methodological level, it is intended to promote a critical reading of historical events and monographs.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- Summerize the basic methodological tools, including IT ones, of the historiographical investigation.
- Identify the relationships between philosophy and historical knowledge in the analysis and discussion of texts and problems
- express the concepts learned in a clear and effective way.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- use appropriately the sources, the basic bibliographic and IT tools for historiographic research.
Making judgements
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
- interpret the verification of the authenticity of the information found
Learning skills
At the end of the course the student will be able:
- to use the sources and the basic bibliographic and IT tools for historiographic research in an autonomous and appropriate way
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- Summerize the basic methodological tools, including IT ones, of the historiographical investigation.
- Identify the relationships between philosophy and historical knowledge in the analysis and discussion of texts and problems
- express the concepts learned in a clear and effective way.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- use appropriately the sources, the basic bibliographic and IT tools for historiographic research.
Making judgements
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
- interpret the verification of the authenticity of the information found
Learning skills
At the end of the course the student will be able:
- to use the sources and the basic bibliographic and IT tools for historiographic research in an autonomous and appropriate way
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
Course title: Reflecting on the sovereign in the shadow of the slave in Europe during the 18th century:
During the 18th century, European society underwent profound changes. The old worldviews were no longer able to interpret these changes, prompting reflection on otherness and on the socio-cultural hierarchies upon which the society of the Ancien Régime was based. In this context, the myth of the 'noble savage' and representations of slavery took on new political meanings, enabling a reconsideration of the reality of oppression and the conditions for possible emancipation, in close dialogue with what constituted a new vision of science and nature. The course aims to explore a line of thought which, starting from the reality and accounts of exploratory voyages from the early 18th century, examines the ways in which these were reappropriated within Enlightenment and subsequently revolutionary political practices and discourses, thereby fostering the theorisation and realisation of new forms of political agency, both individual and collective.
Module A: An Outline of the History of the Early Modern Period (1515-1715)
Module B: From Sovereign Absolutism to the Turning Point of the 1820s (1715-1820)
During the 18th century, European society underwent profound changes. The old worldviews were no longer able to interpret these changes, prompting reflection on otherness and on the socio-cultural hierarchies upon which the society of the Ancien Régime was based. In this context, the myth of the 'noble savage' and representations of slavery took on new political meanings, enabling a reconsideration of the reality of oppression and the conditions for possible emancipation, in close dialogue with what constituted a new vision of science and nature. The course aims to explore a line of thought which, starting from the reality and accounts of exploratory voyages from the early 18th century, examines the ways in which these were reappropriated within Enlightenment and subsequently revolutionary political practices and discourses, thereby fostering the theorisation and realisation of new forms of political agency, both individual and collective.
Module A: An Outline of the History of the Early Modern Period (1515-1715)
Module B: From Sovereign Absolutism to the Turning Point of the 1820s (1715-1820)
Prerequisites for admission
There are no specific prerequisites other than those required for admission to the degree programme, as the course is designed and developed to cater for students at the start of their university studies (three-year degree). Please note, however, that the study of modern history relies on the ability to develop a critical understanding of the concepts taught in lectures or acquired through individual reading of texts, which will be specified on a case-by-case basis.
Teaching methods
This course is taught exclusively in person through a series of thirty lectures delivered by the lecturer. Twenty lectures, corresponding to modules A and B, cover general knowledge, whilst the final ten form the specialised module. These lectures are primarily aimed at helping students acquire the knowledge, skills and terminology specific to the discipline. Furthermore, whilst respecting each student's individual needs, the lecturer encourages both individual and group work in class to facilitate the assimilation and critical re-evaluation of the knowledge acquired. For this reason, attendance at these lectures is strongly recommended, although it is not compulsory. Finally, the course makes use of teaching materials, including multimedia resources, available on the ARIEL platform, which students are encouraged to consult regularly as they are constantly updated. Alongside the lectures, group work may be assigned (reading and presenting original documents or historiographical sources).
Teaching Resources
A COPY OF ALL THE TEXTS LISTED CAN BE FOUND IN THE DEPARTMENTAL LIBRARIES:
Syllabus for full-time students (6 credits):
For Parts 1 and 2, students are expected to be familiar with the topics covered in lectures and to have read the textbook: V. Criscuolo, Storia moderna, Pearson, Milan 2019 supplemented by the recommended but not compulsory reading of F. Motta and S. Pavone, Lessico della storia moderna: Concetti, processi, spazi, Rome, Carocci, 2024, pp. 316
In addition, students are required to read ONE book of their choice from the following list:
S. Muthu, Enlightenment against empire, Princeton, Princeton university press, 2003
K. Wilson, The Sense of the People: Politics, Culture and Imperialism in England, 1715 1785, Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University
P. Cheney, Revolutionary Commerce: Globalization and the French Monarchy, Harvard University, 2003
P. Roge, Economistes and the Reinvention of Empire, Cambridge, 2019
G. Iannuzzi, Geografie del tempo: viaggiatori europei tra i popoli nativi nel Nord America del Settecento, Roma, Viella, 2022
M. Duchet, Anthropologie et histoire au siècle des Lumières, Paris, Albin Michel, 1971, parte 3 e 4 o M. Duchet, Le origini dell'antropologia, Laterza, 1976-77, vol. 3 e 4
P. Del Piano, La schiavitù in età moderna, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2024 o altre edizioni associato a M. Duchet, Le origini dell'antropologia, Roma-Bari, Laterza, soltanto vol. 4
Syllabus for attending students (9 credits)
For Parts 1 and 2, knowledge of the topics covered in lectures and in the textbook: V. Criscuolo, Storia moderna, Pearson, Milan 2019 supplemented by the recommended but not compulsory reading of F. Motta and S. Pavone, Lessico della storia moderna: Concetti, processi, spazi, Rome, Carocci, 2024, pp. 316
In addition, students are required to read TWO books of their choice from the following list:
S. Muthu, Enlightenment against empire, Princeton, Princeton university press, 2003
K. Wilson, The Sense of the People: Politics, Culture and Imperialism in England, 1715 1785, Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University
P. Cheney, Revolutionary Commerce: Globalization and the French Monarchy, Harvard University, 2003
P. Roge, Economistes and the Reinvention of Empire, Cambridge, 2019
G. Iannuzzi, Geografie del tempo: viaggiatori europei tra i popoli nativi nel Nord America del Settecento, Roma, Viella, 2022
M. Duchet, Anthropologie et histoire au siècle des Lumières, Paris, Albin Michel, 1971, parte 3 e 4 o M. Duchet, Le origini dell'antropologia, Laterza, 1976-77, vol. 3 e 4
P. Del Piano, La schiavitù in età moderna, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2024 o altre edizioni associato a M. Duchet, Le origini dell'antropologia, Roma-Bari, Laterza, soltanto vol. 4
Syllabus for full-time students (6 credits):
For Parts 1 and 2, students are expected to be familiar with the topics covered in lectures and to have read the textbook: V. Criscuolo, Storia moderna, Pearson, Milan 2019 supplemented by the recommended but not compulsory reading of F. Motta and S. Pavone, Lessico della storia moderna: Concetti, processi, spazi, Rome, Carocci, 2024, pp. 316
In addition, students are required to read ONE book of their choice from the following list:
S. Muthu, Enlightenment against empire, Princeton, Princeton university press, 2003
K. Wilson, The Sense of the People: Politics, Culture and Imperialism in England, 1715 1785, Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University
P. Cheney, Revolutionary Commerce: Globalization and the French Monarchy, Harvard University, 2003
P. Roge, Economistes and the Reinvention of Empire, Cambridge, 2019
G. Iannuzzi, Geografie del tempo: viaggiatori europei tra i popoli nativi nel Nord America del Settecento, Roma, Viella, 2022
M. Duchet, Anthropologie et histoire au siècle des Lumières, Paris, Albin Michel, 1971, parte 3 e 4 o M. Duchet, Le origini dell'antropologia, Laterza, 1976-77, vol. 3 e 4
P. Del Piano, La schiavitù in età moderna, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2024 o altre edizioni associato a M. Duchet, Le origini dell'antropologia, Roma-Bari, Laterza, soltanto vol. 4
Syllabus for attending students (9 credits)
For Parts 1 and 2, knowledge of the topics covered in lectures and in the textbook: V. Criscuolo, Storia moderna, Pearson, Milan 2019 supplemented by the recommended but not compulsory reading of F. Motta and S. Pavone, Lessico della storia moderna: Concetti, processi, spazi, Rome, Carocci, 2024, pp. 316
In addition, students are required to read TWO books of their choice from the following list:
S. Muthu, Enlightenment against empire, Princeton, Princeton university press, 2003
K. Wilson, The Sense of the People: Politics, Culture and Imperialism in England, 1715 1785, Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University
P. Cheney, Revolutionary Commerce: Globalization and the French Monarchy, Harvard University, 2003
P. Roge, Economistes and the Reinvention of Empire, Cambridge, 2019
G. Iannuzzi, Geografie del tempo: viaggiatori europei tra i popoli nativi nel Nord America del Settecento, Roma, Viella, 2022
M. Duchet, Anthropologie et histoire au siècle des Lumières, Paris, Albin Michel, 1971, parte 3 e 4 o M. Duchet, Le origini dell'antropologia, Laterza, 1976-77, vol. 3 e 4
P. Del Piano, La schiavitù in età moderna, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2024 o altre edizioni associato a M. Duchet, Le origini dell'antropologia, Roma-Bari, Laterza, soltanto vol. 4
Assessment methods and Criteria
The assessment of learning takes various criteria into account: 1. the ability to organise knowledge coherently through the use of specialist vocabulary and a full command of the Italian language (approximately 30% of the final mark); 2. the ability to communicate precisely the main knowledge acquired through independent study (approximately 60% of the final mark). 3. The ability to develop critical reasoning regarding the concepts acquired, placing them within a basic socio-historical context (10%). Assessment takes place in two different ways, at the students' discretion.
1. Final oral examination in a single session (for both attending and non-attending students): for anyone who was absent from the written examination or who refuses to accept the mark, assessment takes place via an oral examination at the end of the course, following the standard procedure common to all other examinations.
2. Mid-term written exam + final oral exam (for attending students only):
The mid-term written exam consists of multiple-choice questions and takes place at the end of the second module (Module B). It covers the chronology and main events of the modern era and, more generally, relates to the contents of the textbook. The exam will be held during lecture hours and the results will be published on Ariel in accordance with privacy regulations. The mid-term exam lasts approximately 90 minutes. Students are free to decline the mark.
If the oral examination is deemed satisfactory, the student is asked to prepare for the final oral examination only Module C and the monographs indicated in the syllabus. The final oral examination lasts approximately 20 minutes. The marks from the two partial assessments are combined to produce the final mark, weighted as follows: two-thirds (modules A and B) based on the written mark and one-third (module C) based on the oral mark for those carrying 9 credits. For those carrying 6 credits, the weighting is 75% for the written examination and 25% for the oral examination.
1. Final oral examination in a single session (for both attending and non-attending students): for anyone who was absent from the written examination or who refuses to accept the mark, assessment takes place via an oral examination at the end of the course, following the standard procedure common to all other examinations.
2. Mid-term written exam + final oral exam (for attending students only):
The mid-term written exam consists of multiple-choice questions and takes place at the end of the second module (Module B). It covers the chronology and main events of the modern era and, more generally, relates to the contents of the textbook. The exam will be held during lecture hours and the results will be published on Ariel in accordance with privacy regulations. The mid-term exam lasts approximately 90 minutes. Students are free to decline the mark.
If the oral examination is deemed satisfactory, the student is asked to prepare for the final oral examination only Module C and the monographs indicated in the syllabus. The final oral examination lasts approximately 20 minutes. The marks from the two partial assessments are combined to produce the final mark, weighted as follows: two-thirds (modules A and B) based on the written mark and one-third (module C) based on the oral mark for those carrying 9 credits. For those carrying 6 credits, the weighting is 75% for the written examination and 25% for the oral examination.
Modules or teaching units
Parte A e B
HIST-02/A - Modern History - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Parte C
HIST-02/A - Modern History - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
In person every Thursday from 2pm to 4.30pm. Online by appointment.
Entrance E, 3° floor, room 3007 (B23)