Università Roma Tre

The course will trace a path along historical and thematic development of the concept of interiority from Modernity until today, paying particular attention to the ways in which it declined gradually the philosophical writing of subjectivity. This development will be illustrated by milestones, with no claim to be comprehensive, focusing on a series of "case studies". On the historical level, in addition to a necessary prerequisite steps to identify in the ancient greek and Christian thought some basic building blocks of the notion of interiority, particular attention will be given to those thinkers from the sixteenth century onwards, on the one hand contributed to reflection on interiority and on the other they have practiced a philosophical writing ' border crossing ', moving from Montaigne. On the thematic level, the analysis of the interiority is interwoven with the theme of substantialization ego (Descartes), with that of the lability of the self and personal identity (Locke and Hume), with that of the authenticity and transparency (Rousseau) and that of unity and multiplicity of the self (French positivist psychology, Nietzsche). In terms of writing attention will be given to those authors who trespass in the field of literary or out of the field move towards that of philosophy in the most effective way to express their thoughts on the subject (in addition to the aforementioned Montagine and Rousseau: Maine de Biran, Pessoa, Proust).

1) Marco Piazza, Il fantasma dell’interiorità. Breve storia di un concetto controverso, Milano, Mimesis, 2012.

2) One text at choice between:
• Marco Piazza, Alle frontiere tra filosofia e letteratura, Milano, Guerini e Associati, 2003.
• Paolo D’Angelo, Forme letterarie della filosofia, Roma, Carocci, 2012

3) A classic at choice between:
• Agostino, Le Confessioni (limited to books I, II, III, X, XI). Edition recommended: Rizzoli (classici BUR).
• Montaigne, Saggi (limited to chapters XXXIX of First Book, II of Third Book and X of Third Book). Edition recommended: Bompiani.
• R. Descartes, Discorso sul metodo (full text). Edition recommended: Rizzoli (classici BUR).
• J.-J. Rousseau, Confessioni (limited to books I, II, XII). Edition recommended: Rizzoli (classici BUR).
• J.-J. Rousseau, Le fantasticherie del passeggiatore solitario (full text). Edition recommended: Studio Editoriale (SE).

N.B.: During the course will be made available reading materials in the bulletin board of the teacher (in the form of links or files directly downloadable).