Università Roma Tre

The Affective in Philosophy, Psychology and Cognitive Science

The course will examine the topic of affectivity through the analysis of some philosophical classics on passions and some more recent scientific theories on emotions. The aim of the course is to investigate the problematic issues concerning human affectivity from an interdisciplinary approach, intertwining philosophy, psychology, and cognitive sciences.

Module A (6 CFU)
The program of Module A will focus on the following topics:
- Introduction to the historical-theoretical understandings of the notions of passion and emotion
- Cartesian theory of the passions
- Humean treatment of the passions
- Analysis of the theme of affectivity in philosophical thought

Module B (6 CFU)
The program of Module B will focus on the following topics:
- Charles Darwin’s evolutionism and his theory of the expression of emotions
- The theories of emotions of William James, John Dewey, and George H. Mead and their revival in the contemporary debate within the cognitive sciences.
- Paul Dumouchel’s theory of the social nature of emotions
- Analysis of the question of affectivity between philosophy, experimental psychology, and clinical psychology.

Module A

R. Cartesio, Le passioni dell’anima, Bompiani 2003
D. Hume, Trattato sulla natura umana, Laterza 2008, pp. 289-476
G. Baggio, G. Quinzi (a cura di), Pensare l’affettività, Rosenberg & Sellier 2021 [Introduzione, capitoli 1-3]

Recommended texts

G. Mori, Cartesio, Carocci 2010
A. Santucci, Introduzione a Hume, Laterza 2005


Module B

G. Baggio, F. Caruana, A. Parravicini, M. Viola (a cura di), Emozioni. Da Darwin al pragmatismo, Rosenberg & Sellier 2020.
G. Baggio, G. Quinzi (a cura di), Pensare l’affettività, Rosenberg & Sellier 2021 [capitoli 4-10]
P. Dumouchel, Emozioni. Saggio sul corpo e il sociale, Medusa 2008.

Recommended texts

F. Caruana, M. Viola, Come funzionano le emozioni, il Mulino 2018.
Pia Campeggiani, Introduzione alla filosofia delle emozioni, Clueb 2021.