Università Roma Tre

The course opens with the presentation of the meaning and character of the philosophy of enlightenment through the reference and reading of texts by authors involved in the debate on the definition of Enlightenment, with particular attention to the issue of tolerance and religious freedom. The lessons will continue with the deepening of the relationship of the Enlightenment thought with the historical, theological and political reality of the Jewish people. Ample space will be reserved for the treatment of Voltaire's complex relationship with Judaism, by reading a series of texts by this author and discussing the main interpretations of scholars in this regard.

A.
E. Tortarolo, L’illuminismo: ragioni e dubbi della modernità, Roma, Carocci, 1999 (and subsequent reprints)
Voltaire, Trattato sulla tolleranza (erecommended edition: a cura di L. Bianchi, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1995 (and subsequent reprints)
Voltaire, voce «Ebrei» del Dizionario filosofico (recommended edition: a cura di D. Felice e R. Campi, Milano, Bompiani, 2015, pp. 2102-2141, with French text in front)
Voltaire, Lettera del signor Clocpicre al signor Eratou sulla questione se gli Ebrei abbiano mangiato carne umana e come l’abbiano cucinata (recommended edition: Gli ebrei mangiavano carne umana? E come la preparavano? A cura di A. Gurrado, Genova, Il Melangolo, 2015, 61 pp., with French text in front)
Voltaire, Sermone del rabbino Akib, pronunziato a Smirne il 20 novembre 1761 (tradotto dall’ebraico) (9 pp. text made available in the download area of the teacher in Italian translation)

B. One book at your choice between:
J. Israel, Una rivoluzione della mente. L’illuminismo radicale e le origini della democrazia moderna, Torino, Einaudi, 2011
D. Outram, L’illuminismo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2006
G. Paganini, E. Tortarolo (a cura di), Illuminismo. Un vademecum, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2008
A. Tagliapietra (a cura di), Che cos’è l’illuminismo? I testi e la genealogia del concetto, Milano, Bruno Mondadori, 2000 (new ed.: Pearson, 2010)

C. Any materials made available by the teacher in the download area of his personal page on the site of the Department.