ID:
SCV0916
Duration (hours):
68
CFU:
8
SSD:
STORIA DELLA FILOSOFIA
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Secondo Semestre (23/02/2026 - 29/05/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Learning Objectives
The course aims to address the major themes of the History of Modern Philosophy through the study and analysis—conducted according to a historical-critical methodology—of the principal authors who shaped its development between the late 16th century and the early 19th century (from Descartes to Kant). In particular, the following issues will be examined:
• the relationship between Philosophy and Science within the Scientific Revolution;
• the problem of the epistemological foundation of the new scientific doctrines and of the new Science;
• the need to develop a logica nova in contrast to Aristotelian-scholastic logic;
• theory of knowledge;
• the development of a new Metaphysics.
The main objective of the course is to guide students toward independent study of the History of Modern Philosophy and the texts of its principal authors, through the acquisition of a methodology, grounded in close textual analysis. At the same time, students will develop historical and logical-argumentative thinking skills, enabling them to navigate modern and contemporary philosophical thought with greater critical awareness of the history and evolution of ideas and concepts characteristic of this historical period. Particular attention will be given to the student’s acquisition of appropriate terminology and the philosophical lexicon specific to the discipline.
The course aims to address the major themes of the History of Modern Philosophy through the study and analysis—conducted according to a historical-critical methodology—of the principal authors who shaped its development between the late 16th century and the early 19th century (from Descartes to Kant). In particular, the following issues will be examined:
• the relationship between Philosophy and Science within the Scientific Revolution;
• the problem of the epistemological foundation of the new scientific doctrines and of the new Science;
• the need to develop a logica nova in contrast to Aristotelian-scholastic logic;
• theory of knowledge;
• the development of a new Metaphysics.
The main objective of the course is to guide students toward independent study of the History of Modern Philosophy and the texts of its principal authors, through the acquisition of a methodology, grounded in close textual analysis. At the same time, students will develop historical and logical-argumentative thinking skills, enabling them to navigate modern and contemporary philosophical thought with greater critical awareness of the history and evolution of ideas and concepts characteristic of this historical period. Particular attention will be given to the student’s acquisition of appropriate terminology and the philosophical lexicon specific to the discipline.
Course Prerequisites
No prerequisites are required, although having already studied the History of Philosophy during upper secondary education is considered an advantage.
Teaching Methods
The learning objectives of the course will be achieved through lectures (a total of 56 hours for the general part + 12 hours of in-depth study for the monographic part).
During the lectures, the following teaching methods will be used:
• presentation of content by the instructor
• analysis of literary texts
• interdisciplinary teaching
In addition to the texts listed in the bibliography, the instructor will provide additional teaching materials on the course’s e-learning page.
Assessment Methods
The study of the following texts is required:
I. For the General Part
Reference text for notions and concepts:
• ABBAGNANO, NICOLA, Dictionary of Philosophy, updated and expanded edition by Giovanni Fornero, UTET 2024, ISBN 9791221211399.
Plus one textbook on the History of Philosophy chosen from the following:
• [1.] BERTI, ENRICO – VOLPI, FRANCO, History of Philosophy: From Antiquity to the Present, compact edition, Laterza 2007, ISBN 978-8842108597;
• [2.] MORI, MASSIMO – FONNESU, LUCA – CAMBIANO, GIUSEPPE, Modern Philosophy: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, Il Mulino 2018, ISBN 978-8815278647;
• [3.] ABBAGNANO, NICOLA, Modern Philosophy from Descartes to Kant, UTET 2025, ISBN 979-1221216998.
II. For the Monographic Part
An in-depth study of Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant and The Life of Kant by Ernst Cassirer is required:
• KANT, IMMANUEL, Critique of Pure Reason, edited by Giorgio Colli, Adelphi 1995, ISBN 9788845911637;
• CASSIRER, ERNST, Kant: Life and Doctrine, Castelvecchi 2020, ISBN 978-8832900255.
Strongly recommended supporting text for both parts:
• CASSIRER, ERNST, The Problem of Knowledge: Philosophy, Science, and History from Bacon to Kant, PGRECO 2016, ISBN 978-8868021757.
Assessment Method
Learning will be assessed through an oral examination, graded out of thirty, consisting of three questions: two on the general part and one on the monographic part.
Particular attention will be paid to:
• appropriate use of language,
• accuracy of historical-philosophical knowledge,
• critical problematization of the content.
During the oral exam, students will be tested on their acquisition and correct understanding of the required texts, which must be studied in full.
For the final grade, the accuracy and quality of the answers, communication skills demonstrated during the exam, and the ability to adequately justify statements, analyses, and evaluations will be taken into account.
Contents
The course content will be divided into two parts.
In the first, general part (56 hours), the History of Modern Philosophy—from the late 16th century to the early 19th century—will be presented through the analysis of the principal authors who shaped this period (from Descartes to Kant). Particular emphasis will be placed on the study of the Scientific Revolution and the evolution of the relationship between Philosophy and Science.
In the second, monographic part (12 hours), Critique of Pure Reason by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant will be presented.
Course Language
Italian
More information
The instructor meets with students by appointment via email (stefano.veneroni@uninsubria.it), at the Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences (Rossi Building).
Degrees
Degrees
STORIA E STORIE DEL MONDO CONTEMPORANEO
Bachelor’s Degree
3 years
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Teaching staff
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