ID:
500331
Duration (hours):
36
CFU:
6
SSD:
STORIA DELLA FILOSOFIA
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Secondo Semestre (23/02/2026 - 22/05/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course will enable students to acquire historical and philosophical knowledge of the fundamental currents of Renaissance thought and to familiarize themselves with the main historiographical issues relating to the concept of the Renaissance itself, especially in relation to that of Modernity. By intertwining the study of well-known authors (such as Giordano Bruno) with that of authors often ignored in tory of philosophy history modules (such as Paracelsus), the course will allow students to reflect on the criteria for the formation of a philosophical canon. At the end of the course, students will be able to interpret a range of diverse philosophical texts, recognizing the specificities of Renaissance thought and framing them within the broader development of the history of philosophy.
Course Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of the history of philosophy is required. Students are encouraged to contact the lecturer if necessary.
Teaching Methods
Combination of lectures and seminar sessions, with the use of PowerPoint presentations. The lecturer will also plan a visit to the University Library of Pavia to view ancient texts relevant to the course topics (in particular on alchemy). The participation of invited speakers will further enrich the programme.
Assessment Methods
Acquired knowledge will be assessed through an oral exam on the topics covered in class and the contents of the texts listed in the bibliography (including materials uploaded to KIRO). The lecturer will evaluate the ability to present convincing arguments and use precise terminology. Students might be asked to read and comment on an excerpt.
Texts
Giordano Bruno, I vincoli in generale, in id., Opere magiche, ed. by Simonetta Bassi, Elisabetta Scapparone, Nicoletta Tirinnanzi, Adelphi, 2000, pp. 413-584 (only the Italian translation)
Tommaso Campanella, Del senso delle cose e della magia, ed. by Germana Ernst, Laterza, 2007
Ernst Cassirer, Individuo e cosmo nella filosofia del Rinascimento, ed. by Friederike Plaga e Claus Rosenkranz, Bollati Boringhieri, 2002 (Introduction, chapters 3 and 4)
At the beginning of the course, the lecturer will also select extracts from Marsilio Ficino (Sulla vita, ed. by Alessandra Tarabochia Canavero, Rusconi, 1995), Pietro Pomponazzi (Le incantazioni, ed. by Vittoria Perrone Compagni, Edizioni della Normale, 2013) and Paracelsus (Paragrano, ed. by Ferruccio Masini, SE, 2022).
Further essays and extracts will be uploaded on the KIRO platform
For students not attending the course, please also read the following (in full):
I vincoli della natura. Magia e stregoneria nel Rinascimento, ed. by Germana Ernst and Guido Giglioni, Carocci, 2012
Tommaso Campanella, Del senso delle cose e della magia, ed. by Germana Ernst, Laterza, 2007
Ernst Cassirer, Individuo e cosmo nella filosofia del Rinascimento, ed. by Friederike Plaga e Claus Rosenkranz, Bollati Boringhieri, 2002 (Introduction, chapters 3 and 4)
At the beginning of the course, the lecturer will also select extracts from Marsilio Ficino (Sulla vita, ed. by Alessandra Tarabochia Canavero, Rusconi, 1995), Pietro Pomponazzi (Le incantazioni, ed. by Vittoria Perrone Compagni, Edizioni della Normale, 2013) and Paracelsus (Paragrano, ed. by Ferruccio Masini, SE, 2022).
Further essays and extracts will be uploaded on the KIRO platform
For students not attending the course, please also read the following (in full):
I vincoli della natura. Magia e stregoneria nel Rinascimento, ed. by Germana Ernst and Guido Giglioni, Carocci, 2012
Contents
Nature and Magic
The course is devoted to the different conceptions of ‘nature’ in the Renaissance, with particular attention to the position and role of human beings in relation to nature. The course aims to reconstruct the Renaissance conception of the cosmos, questioning the points of continuity and difference with subsequent developments. Key topics covered during the course include: the relationship between science and magic, the role of the ‘magus’, and the vision of a hidden nature; alchemy and the theoretical foundations of the manipulation of nature; the idea that the entire world is a sentient animal, and the ethical consequences that derive from this. The course will cover readings from classics of Renaissance philosophy, such as excerpts from Marsilio Ficino's De vita and Tommaso Campanella's De sensu rerum et magia, and will introduce students to authors such as Giordano Bruno and Paracelsus.
The course is devoted to the different conceptions of ‘nature’ in the Renaissance, with particular attention to the position and role of human beings in relation to nature. The course aims to reconstruct the Renaissance conception of the cosmos, questioning the points of continuity and difference with subsequent developments. Key topics covered during the course include: the relationship between science and magic, the role of the ‘magus’, and the vision of a hidden nature; alchemy and the theoretical foundations of the manipulation of nature; the idea that the entire world is a sentient animal, and the ethical consequences that derive from this. The course will cover readings from classics of Renaissance philosophy, such as excerpts from Marsilio Ficino's De vita and Tommaso Campanella's De sensu rerum et magia, and will introduce students to authors such as Giordano Bruno and Paracelsus.
Course Language
Italian
Degrees
Degrees
PHILOSOPHY
Master’s Degree
2 years
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