Political Philosophy - 1st semester
Code
711031053
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Filosofia
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Giovanni Damele
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
1. First aim consists in giving to the students a network of fundamental concepts in the area of political philosophy.
2. Second, to familiarize the students with some relevant classical texts and authors in the tradition of political philosophy.
3.Third, to stimulate the discussion on contemporary questions in political philosophy.
Prerequisites
Not applicable
Subject matter
The concept of “social contract”
After a short introduction to the status of political philosophy from an historical and systematic point of view, the course will explore the concept of social contract, according to some fundamental texts and authors, not only classic but also contemporary ones. Also some main classic anti-contractualist authors will be sharply contrasted with those mentioned above in order to better understand the contemporary John Rawls’ theory of justice.
It is in this framework that it will be possible to discuss the grounding principles of democracy and the state of right, as well as to go deeper in the analysis of some philosophical concepts such as human rights, global justice and sovereignty, which are the most important challenges to nowadays societies, in particular to the EU
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAFIA
- Aristóteles, A Política, Lisboa: Vega, 2016 (2ª ed.) (The Politics, Harmonsworth, Penguin Books, 1962)
- Thomas Hobbes, Leviatã, trad. portuguesa João Paulo Monteiro/ Maria Beatriz Niza da Silva, Lisboa IN/CM, 1995 (Leviathan, Indianopolis/ Cambridge: Hackett, 1994 - from the latin edition of 1668)
- John Locke, Segundo Tratado do Governo, Lisboa: Fundação Gulbenkian, 2007
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Du Contrat Social ou Principes du Droit Politique, Écrits Politiques, Paris: Livre de Poche, 1992
- Immanuel Kant, Metafísica dos Costumes, Lisboa: Fundação Gulbenkian, 2010
- John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1978 (1ª ed. 1972)
- Émile Durkheim, The Division of Labour in Society - Book I, Chapt. VII (Organic Solidarity and Contractual Solidarity), Palgrave, New York, 1984
Outro material bibliográfico complementar será disponibilizado durante o curso, quando possível em versão portuguesa.
Teaching method
Two main activities are developed in the course. During the first hour there is an explanation of theoretical content: we will read, expose and explain the fundamental key concepts and the theoretical frameworks of the texts. In the second part of the class, there will be room for reading, interpretation and analysis of the texts with the aim of promoting debate on alternative views and possible objections.
In class teaching.
Evaluation method
Final exam: 60%; participation in the class discussions and short paper: 40%