The course aims to promote
1) the acquisition of a basic historical and theoretical knowledge of the phenomenon of war and the centuries-old discussion around the concept of 'just war';
2) the acquisition of the conceptual and lexical tools necessary for understanding a classical text, contextualising its contents;
3) the promotion of a critical awareness of the major political issues of modernity and the present day;
4) the strengthening of communication skills.
No prerequisites are required.
The course envisages that the lectures will occasionally be accompanied by oral presentations by the students. This means that students may be asked to give a summary presentation of short texts of their choice on specific topics. In this way, in addition to the more traditional type of lecture, discussion with and among students will be promoted. The course may also include the use of podcasts and video lectures. Attendance is strongly recommended.
The final examination, which will take place orally, will test the historical and theoretical skills acquired, textual analysis skills, properties of expression, and mastery of the sectorial languages proper to the discipline. Grades will be expressed in thirtieths.
The assessment criteria will be as follows:
1) Knowledge of the main concepts and problems connected with the phenomenon of war from antiquity to the present day.
2) Adequate ability to orientate oneself with regard to the main interpretations of the 'just war' theory.
3) Critical analysis of the primary texts covered by the course, also in relation to the historical and cultural reference panorama.
The possibility of intermediate exercises is envisaged, purely and simply as a self-assessment of the state of learning.
The course aims at tracing the conceptual history of the phenomenon 'war' from classical antiquity to the present day. It will pay particular attention to the definition of the twentieth-century notions of "total war" and "global war" on the one hand and to the reconstruction of the centuries-old debate on the notion of "just war" on the other. In this perspective, the reflections of some classics of political thought - from Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Kant to Clausewitz, Schmitt, Kelsen and Foucault - will be briefly examined.
- The communications to students will mostly be by e-mail. Notices and updates will be promptly posted on the teacher's personal page, under the heading "Information for students". All students are therefore required to periodically consult the teacher's personal page and to download any materials that may be uploaded there.
- The course syllabus is valid for both attending and non-attending students. Non-attending students will be asked to contact promptly the teacher in order to make arrangements for an "ad hoc" programme. In any case, further information will be provided at the beginning of classes..
- Erasmus students, as well as students with PDP or PEI, are invited to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course.
