Università Roma Tre

The course will be divided into two parts:

Part One:
Key Figures in the History of Philosophy

In the first part of the course, we will provide an overview of some of the major thinkers in the history of philosophy.
We will proceed according to the following outline:
Ancient thought
Medieval thought
Modern and contemporary thought

For each of these periods, we will present a brief profile of some of the most significant thinkers

Second part:

Thinking well: Philosophers and the Art of Liberating Our Mind

Thinking well does not come naturally: it is an achievement, born from the awareness that we must work on ourselves and remain conscious of the conditions in which we find ourselves. Cultivating the intellect and forming one's character are the fundamental conditions for an authentically free and happy life. In this course we will explore how, throughout the history of philosophy, various thinkers have confronted this problem and sought to address it. We will examine in particular Augustine of Hippo, who in the De magistro reminds us of the need to encounter the deeper truth that dwells within us. We will then turn to Locke and his Conduct of the Understanding, in which the English philosopher offers his advice on how to free the mind from prejudices, habits, and mental laziness. Though distant in time, these authors are united by the same urgency: learning to reason well is a worthwhile endeavor, one that enables us to discover the deepest truth about ourselves and to learn how to communicate, to dialogue, and to think together with others.

First Part:

The recordings of the lectures and materials useful for the exam will be uploaded to the platform.


Secondo Part:

Agostino, De Magistro, Scholé, Brescia 2024.
Locke, La condotta dell'intelletto, in Scritti etico-religiosi, a cura di M. Sina, UTET, Torino 2000

Additional materials useful for the exam will be provided via the Formonline platform.