The Western Tradition: Moral and Political Values
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
Students will acquire in-depth knowledge and skills on current research topics in moral and political values within the western tradition.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will acquire the ability to:
- critically analyse philosophical arguments;
- critically evaluate information sources and reliability of data;
- discuss and compare different philosophical positions;
- apply critical abilities to historical and philosophical sciences;
- reflect on complex and articulated philosophical positions;
- adopt their own stance in a philosophical debate, and put forward arguments in support of it;
- effectively communicate the results of their research, also using multimedia techniques for presenting information, with possible applications in teaching;
- use relational, communicative, and organizational skills even in highly complex contexts and in managing group work;
- convey the acquired skills even in non-specialist contexts;
- reflect on their own abilities and on the evaluations received;
- independently search for the philosophical sources of a debate or school of thought;
- independently explore in depth a philosophical position or theoretical thesis.
- critically analyse philosophical arguments;
- critically evaluate information sources and reliability of data;
- discuss and compare different philosophical positions;
- apply critical abilities to historical and philosophical sciences;
- reflect on complex and articulated philosophical positions;
- adopt their own stance in a philosophical debate, and put forward arguments in support of it;
- effectively communicate the results of their research, also using multimedia techniques for presenting information, with possible applications in teaching;
- use relational, communicative, and organizational skills even in highly complex contexts and in managing group work;
- convey the acquired skills even in non-specialist contexts;
- reflect on their own abilities and on the evaluations received;
- independently search for the philosophical sources of a debate or school of thought;
- independently explore in depth a philosophical position or theoretical thesis.
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
The course takes as its subject what is often called the Western tradition or, even more
broadly perhaps, Western culture. This is a diffuse and hard to delimit concept and period,
both historically and philosophically. Its beginnings are standardly associated with the
cultures of Greco-Roman antiquity, but the influence of Ancient Egypt or near-Eastern
cultures can also not be denied. From then on, the Western tradition had incorporated
numerous other elements including early Christianity, the Italian and other medieval
renaissances, the Enlightenment, the Industrial revolution, the spread of liberal democracy
and so on.
During the course we will focus on the values that have dominated these historical epochs
with particular attention to more recent developments. The course will thus be an exercise
in the history of ideas and in philosophy as well as contain contemporary analyses of the
values under discussion.
broadly perhaps, Western culture. This is a diffuse and hard to delimit concept and period,
both historically and philosophically. Its beginnings are standardly associated with the
cultures of Greco-Roman antiquity, but the influence of Ancient Egypt or near-Eastern
cultures can also not be denied. From then on, the Western tradition had incorporated
numerous other elements including early Christianity, the Italian and other medieval
renaissances, the Enlightenment, the Industrial revolution, the spread of liberal democracy
and so on.
During the course we will focus on the values that have dominated these historical epochs
with particular attention to more recent developments. The course will thus be an exercise
in the history of ideas and in philosophy as well as contain contemporary analyses of the
values under discussion.
Prerequisites for admission
The course is taught in English (B2).
Teaching methods
The course is a mix of lectures and seminar discussion. Each week four two-hour sessions
will take place. Two of these sessions will be lectures. The other two sessions will be
devoted to the discussion of readings. One half of the lectures and seminar discussion will
be historically focused; the other half will concentrate on contemporary analysis. The
contemporary part will follow the historical part (depending on lecturers' availability and
schedule).
For each week, there are assigned main readings that are compulsory and will form the topic
of seminar discussion; and complementary readings that are not compulsory and can be
used to deepen one's knowledge of the topic (and, for example, to base their final essay
submission on).
In the last week of the course, students will be introduced to the 'art' of philosophy essay
writing. In the rest of week, they will give brief presentations with the aim of preparing their
written essays and to receive feedback. Each presentation will be max 20 minutes long
followed by a max 5 min long comment by a fellow student. Their presentation should ideally
be based on their draft plan for their essay submission, which they submit to the teachers
and their commentators in advance.
will take place. Two of these sessions will be lectures. The other two sessions will be
devoted to the discussion of readings. One half of the lectures and seminar discussion will
be historically focused; the other half will concentrate on contemporary analysis. The
contemporary part will follow the historical part (depending on lecturers' availability and
schedule).
For each week, there are assigned main readings that are compulsory and will form the topic
of seminar discussion; and complementary readings that are not compulsory and can be
used to deepen one's knowledge of the topic (and, for example, to base their final essay
submission on).
In the last week of the course, students will be introduced to the 'art' of philosophy essay
writing. In the rest of week, they will give brief presentations with the aim of preparing their
written essays and to receive feedback. Each presentation will be max 20 minutes long
followed by a max 5 min long comment by a fellow student. Their presentation should ideally
be based on their draft plan for their essay submission, which they submit to the teachers
and their commentators in advance.
Teaching Resources
The course will focus on four values: freedom, justice, rights, and equality. The following are the compulsory readings:
· Anderson, E., 'What is the point of equality?', CPP Chapter 35
· Bentham, J. Anarchical Fallacies, in. Nonsense upon Stilts, ed. Jeremy Waldron, Routledge, 2019 (1987).
· Berlin, I. 'Two Concepts of Liberty', CPP, Chapter 26
· de Gouges, O. 'The Declaration of the Rights of Woman', URL: https://revolution.chnm.org/d/293/
· Dworkin, R. (1981), 'Is there a right to pornography?', Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 1 (2), 177-212. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/764457?origin=JSTOR-pdf
· H.L.A. Hart, 'Are There Any Natural Rights?' CPP Chapter 20
· Hume, D. 'Of Justice and Injustice', A Treatise of Human Nature, Book III, Part II, CMPT
· Kant, I. 'An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?' URL: https://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/kant_whatisenlightenment.pdf
· Locke, J., Second Treatise of Government, Chapters I, II, V, VII, IX, CMPT
· MacCallum, G.C. (1967), 'Negative and positive freedom', The Philosophical Review, 76 (3), 312-34. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2183622
· Mill, J.S. On Liberty, Chapters I and II, CMPT
· Mill, J.S., Utilitarianism, Chapter 5: 'Of the Connexion between Justice and Utility', CMPT
· Rawls, J. 'A Theory of Justice', excerpts from A Theory of Justice, APP, Chapter 10
· Rousseau, J.J. Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (excerpts), CMPT
· Williams, B. 'The Idea of Equality', in Problems of the Self, Chapter 14, Cambridge University Press, 2009
· Wood, A., 'The Marxian Critique of Justice', Philosophy and Public Affairs 1(3): 244-282, 1972. URL: https://doi.org/10.1086/660694
· Wollstonecraft, M. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (excerpts), URL: https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/wollstonecraft-a-vindication-of-the-rights-of-woman
Most of the material above can be found in the following anthologies:
· Classics of Moral and Political Theory, ed. Michael L. Morgan, 5th edition, Hackett Publishing Company, 2011 [CMPT]
· Arguing about Political Philosophy, eds. Matt Zwolinski, Mario I. Juarez-Garcia, 3rd edition, Routledge, 2025 (if it doesn't appear on time, we will use the second edition) [APP]
· Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Anthology, eds. Robert E. Goodin, Philip Pettit, 3rd edition, Wiley, 2019 [CPP]
Individual articles that are not in these volumes can mainly be reached via the DOI numbers and URL links provided.
The above list can change.
· Anderson, E., 'What is the point of equality?', CPP Chapter 35
· Bentham, J. Anarchical Fallacies, in. Nonsense upon Stilts, ed. Jeremy Waldron, Routledge, 2019 (1987).
· Berlin, I. 'Two Concepts of Liberty', CPP, Chapter 26
· de Gouges, O. 'The Declaration of the Rights of Woman', URL: https://revolution.chnm.org/d/293/
· Dworkin, R. (1981), 'Is there a right to pornography?', Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 1 (2), 177-212. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/764457?origin=JSTOR-pdf
· H.L.A. Hart, 'Are There Any Natural Rights?' CPP Chapter 20
· Hume, D. 'Of Justice and Injustice', A Treatise of Human Nature, Book III, Part II, CMPT
· Kant, I. 'An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?' URL: https://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/kant_whatisenlightenment.pdf
· Locke, J., Second Treatise of Government, Chapters I, II, V, VII, IX, CMPT
· MacCallum, G.C. (1967), 'Negative and positive freedom', The Philosophical Review, 76 (3), 312-34. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2183622
· Mill, J.S. On Liberty, Chapters I and II, CMPT
· Mill, J.S., Utilitarianism, Chapter 5: 'Of the Connexion between Justice and Utility', CMPT
· Rawls, J. 'A Theory of Justice', excerpts from A Theory of Justice, APP, Chapter 10
· Rousseau, J.J. Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (excerpts), CMPT
· Williams, B. 'The Idea of Equality', in Problems of the Self, Chapter 14, Cambridge University Press, 2009
· Wood, A., 'The Marxian Critique of Justice', Philosophy and Public Affairs 1(3): 244-282, 1972. URL: https://doi.org/10.1086/660694
· Wollstonecraft, M. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (excerpts), URL: https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/wollstonecraft-a-vindication-of-the-rights-of-woman
Most of the material above can be found in the following anthologies:
· Classics of Moral and Political Theory, ed. Michael L. Morgan, 5th edition, Hackett Publishing Company, 2011 [CMPT]
· Arguing about Political Philosophy, eds. Matt Zwolinski, Mario I. Juarez-Garcia, 3rd edition, Routledge, 2025 (if it doesn't appear on time, we will use the second edition) [APP]
· Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Anthology, eds. Robert E. Goodin, Philip Pettit, 3rd edition, Wiley, 2019 [CPP]
Individual articles that are not in these volumes can mainly be reached via the DOI numbers and URL links provided.
The above list can change.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Students attending at least 70% of the sessions will be assessed on the basis of:
· a short essay of max 5000 words.
· a minimum one-page outline for feedback prior to writing the essay, which will be discussed in class in the last week of the course;
· a presentation on a topic of their choice in the last week of the course based on the outline submitted;
· note that attending students must sign up for an oral exam date in order to receive a grade, but they will not actually come to the exam (in other words, the sign-up is purely a formality).
Non-attending students (i.e. students who have attended less than 70% of the sessions) will be assessed on the basis of:
· an essay of max 5000 words.
· a one-page outline for feedback prior to writing the essay;
· an oral examination in which their essay will be discussed with them.
Due Dates:
For the essay: one week before the date of the oral exam to which the student signs up.
For outlines: one month before the date of the oral exam to which the student signs up.
· a short essay of max 5000 words.
· a minimum one-page outline for feedback prior to writing the essay, which will be discussed in class in the last week of the course;
· a presentation on a topic of their choice in the last week of the course based on the outline submitted;
· note that attending students must sign up for an oral exam date in order to receive a grade, but they will not actually come to the exam (in other words, the sign-up is purely a formality).
Non-attending students (i.e. students who have attended less than 70% of the sessions) will be assessed on the basis of:
· an essay of max 5000 words.
· a one-page outline for feedback prior to writing the essay;
· an oral examination in which their essay will be discussed with them.
Due Dates:
For the essay: one week before the date of the oral exam to which the student signs up.
For outlines: one month before the date of the oral exam to which the student signs up.
Modules or teaching units
Parte A e B
PHIL-05/A - History of Philosophy - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Tanyi Attila Geza
Parte C
PHIL-05/A - History of Philosophy - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor:
Tanyi Attila Geza
Parte D
PHIL-05/A - History of Philosophy - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)