Università Roma Tre

"Intellectual history of the Enlightenment" is one of the complementary educational activities of the Philosophical Sciences programme. Through the reading of Enlightenment classics, the course aims to provide students with knowledge not only of the thought of the authors under study, but also of the epistemological and methodological foundations of historical-philosophical research. In particular, the course aims to make students aware of the development of this or that thinker, or of the dense web of convergences and divergences, of debts and distances, that the interlocution between several authors weaves, by comparing the works of the same author or of different authors. The aim is to stimulate critical reflection and independent judgement by highlighting the difficulties of the texts and the most representative interpretations. Finally, the recommended texts are intended to promote the student's ability to deal with the scientific literature and to develop the skills necessary for independent research. At the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of a central episode in the history of Enlightenment philosophy and the debates it provoked. They will also be able to use this knowledge to discuss and argue both theoretical and historical-philosophical issues. They will also develop their skills of critical reading and analysis of sources, and of placing propositions within the context of the history of Enlightenment. They will have been able to put their language and argumentation skills to the test in relation to the topics covered in the course.