The degree course aims at providing solid undergraduate knowledge of the history of philosophical thought as well as of the history of mankind from antiquity to date, and well-grounded information about the processes of change of philosophical, socio-political and economic systems.
The educational programme is structured in a way to provide students with command of the variety of methods and tools for the updating and research in the philosophical and historical field as well as a critical approach to the main issues of the contemporary debate in the specific areas of theoretical, linguistic and logical-epistemological, philosophical and scientific, historical, social, ethical and political, religious and aesthetic research.
The degree course aims to train more specifically the following skills:
Understanding
Graduates in philosophical and historical studies will be able to understand and interpret texts and sources with a good grasp of specific methods of analysis of documents and events and a good knowledge of the approaches to the interpretation of texts and evaluation of arguments.
They must also acquire the ability to understand the relationships between historical reality and cultural phenomena.
This understanding will be gained through various educational activities, namely:
- lectures and guided discussions (even with the use of advanced text books) possibly oriented towards current debate issues;
- exercises on texts and sources of particular philosophical, historical and historical-philosophical relevance;
- participation in conferences and seminars of high scientific level held by national and international experts;
- preparation of reports during the studies.
The assessment of the knowledge and understanding will be carried out through exams and possible written tests, as well as through the production of individual and group papers.
Making judgments:
Graduates in philosophical and historical studies will be able to analyze, synthesize, revise, interpret philosophical and historical texts and problems, to collect and interpret data for the formulation of independent judgments in relation to the different problems faced during the studies, as well as to develop and defend arguments coherently and effectively. Graduates will acquire independent judgment for the following activities:
- analysis and interpretation of philosophical texts;
- comparative analysis of texts;
- comparison with the critical literature on the texts.
- source criticism
- research methodology
Such independent judgment skills will be acquired primarily through:
- lectures within teaching courses;
- guided exercises;
- participation in workshops and seminars;
- preparation of the final dissertation.
The acquisition of judgment skills will be assessed through the evaluation of written and oral reports and interventions in debates specifically promoted in order to bring out the specific student's point of view in the critical discussion with professors and specialists of the issues raised for discussion.
Communication skills:
A graduate of the CDL in philosophical and historical studies must be able to:
- communicate (also through the use of electronic media) information, ideas, problems and solutions related to the philosophical , historical and scientific debate to competent public, as well as to non-specialist interlocutors;
- organize and present research and study projects within different Italian and foreign cultural institutions, also using mass media and new online media;
- transmit cultural content (also specialized ones) in specific communication situations as well as in networked discussion groups under the supervision and monitoring of a teacher;
- cope and collaborate with others, having developed the attitude to constructive discussion, to the flexibility in understanding other people's arguments, as well as in exposing their own.
These communication skills will be acquired primarily through:
- lectures within teaching courses;
- seminars and tutorials;
- meetings and discussions with Italian and foreign experts;
- participation in Erasmus projects;
- course tests.
The assessment of these abilities will be done through: - examinations and written and oral tests; - written and oral reports on the results of the participation in seminar activities, apprenticeships or internships.
Learning ability:
Graduates of the course will possess adequate learning abilities enabling them to continue their studies with a high degree of autonomy, both in academia (MSc), and in more specific vocational courses. In particular, graduates will be able to:
- process strategies for the analysis, redescription and solution of specific problems, showing text and theoretical analytical skills;
- carry out comparisons, thanks also to their adequate writing and exposition skills .
These learning skills will be acquired through participation in exercises and seminars and through the analysis of texts and critical tools.
The learning skills are assessed through:
- exercises in the classroom;
- exams and any written evaluation tests;
- participation in the organization of workshops;
- periodic monitoring of the progress of each student's studies;
- Final examination.
The course aims at enhancing students’ readiness to recognize critically the conceptual structures operating in historical and cultural processes, the ability to apply knowledge of the historical and philosophical tradition to current theoretical research problems, the ability to establish relationships between the knowledge possessed and the central issues of the current debate. Students’ are expected to come to the determination of independent judgments on philosophical, logical-epistemological, linguistic, aesthetic, historical, social, ethical and political themes, on scientific matters and their implications in the public interest.
The degree course includes a group of activities, common to the philosophical and historical curricula, aimed at basic training in humanities and at the acquisition fundamental skills in philosophical and historical studies (more than 80 credits). The two curricula differ for a specific articulation of historical and philosophical disciplines enabling students to qualify their studies through specific history or philosophy teachings, which are consistent with the cultural and educational project of the course and providing solid groundings for accessing the 2nd cycle degree Course preparing them to access the competitive selections for teaching in secondary schools (History and Philosophy and human Sciences in high schools).
This is enhanced by the range of supplementary and complementary activities, divided in history, philosophy and human sciences, enabling the acquisition of additional skills to other job opportunities to which the student might be interested, and that the course aims at extending through the offer of internships in companies, cultural associations.