PSI0302 - MORAL PHILOSOPHY

courses

ID:

PSI0302

Duration (hours):

40

CFU:

SSD:

FILOSOFIA MORALE

Located in:

CHIETI

Url:

Course Details:

PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES/CORSO GENERICO Year: 3

Year:

2025

Course Catalogue:

https://unich.coursecatalogue.cineca.it/af/2025?co...

Date/time interval

Primo Semestre (29/09/2025 - 30/12/2025)

Course Objectives

This course contributes to the educational goals of the degree program by providing students with theoretical knowledge and methodological tools – both historical and conceptual – necessary for understanding the key themes and currents of the Western ethical tradition.

In addition, the course introduces students to the reading of foundational texts within this tradition, offering the essential categories for their analysis – hermeneutical and historiographical – enabling the framing of their central themes and fostering their critical discussion. By the end of the course, students will:

a) acquire a foundational understanding of major moral doctrines;
b) develop their ability to comprehend the principal theories that define the field;
c) enhance their capacity for philosophical reflection on the course topics, as well as meta-reflection on their own learning processes and intellectual skills;
d) attain the necessary competencies—in terms of independent judgment and discipline-specific communicative abilities—to engage critically and with awareness in contemporary debates in moral philosophy, especially those concerning various domains of applied ethics (e.g., environmental ethics, bioethics, technoscience and the posthuman, information and communication ethics, ethics of economics and labor, intercultural ethics).

Course Prerequisites

No specific prior knowledge or competences are required.
The course has no prerequisite constraints.

Teaching Methods

The course is delivered in person and consists of lecture-based teaching, structured into a general introduction, thematic and textual analysis, and a concluding synthesis. These components are aimed at conveying theoretical content, systematizing key concepts, and fostering the acquisition of discipline-specific terminology.
Lectures will also include dialogical moments, centered on the collective discussion of selected texts or key issues in contemporary ethical debate. These are intended to promote the development of critical thinking, specific communicative abilities, and mastery of the knowledge and skills acquired.

Assessment Methods

The assessment of learning outcomes is conducted through an oral examination. The exam interview - structured to differentiate various levels of competence in accordance with the expected learning outcomes - will cover both the first part of the course, devoted to the history of the main figures and movements in Western ethics (the required text is the one listed in Part I of the bibliography), and the second part of the course, focused on the concept of forgiveness (the required texts are those listed in Part II of the bibliography; non-attending students will also be assessed on the text indicated in Part III).
The final grade will be expressed on a scale of thirty points. The minimum passing grade is 18/30.

Texts

Part I:- A. Da Re, Filosofia morale. Storia, teorie, argomenti, Pearson, Milano 2023 (Fourth Edition): with the exception of Chapters 3-5.

Part II:- P. Ricoeur, Ricordare, dimenticare, perdonare. L’enigma del passato, il Mulino, Bologna 2004: only the Introduction (pp. VII–XV) and Part Two (Passato, memoria, storia, oblio).
- J. Derrida, Perdonare, Raffaello Cortina, Milano 2004.

Part III (optional for attending students; required for non-attending students):
- E. Colombetti, Etica del perdono, Vita e Pensiero, Milano 2019.

The e-learning section of the course contains the texts discussed in class:
https://elearning.unich.it/enrol/index.php?id=2645

The course is divided into two parts.
The first part provides a historical and conceptual reconstruction of the major figures and schools of thought in Western ethics.
The second part focuses on the concept of forgiveness as it is addressed in contemporary philosophical thought.

Course Language

Italian.

More information

Attendance is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged, as active and regular participation in class activities significantly supports the attainment of the course’s learning objectives and facilitates more effective independent study.
Students who are unable to attend at least two-thirds of the sessions are required to complement their preparation - alongside the full reading of the assigned texts (Part I and Part II) - with the study of the text listed in Part III. An alternative reading may be selected in agreement with the instructor, provided it aligns more closely with the student’s academic interests.
The course instructor may be contacted at: matteo.cavalleri@unich.it. Weekly office hours are available by appointment (via email) and may also be conducted in English.

Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD) are entitled to appropriate accommodations based on their individual needs, following an evaluation by the University Support Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD.
Please do not contact the instructor directly. Instead, students are asked to schedule an appointment with the Support Service. The Service will determine which accommodations are appropriate.
For more information, please visit:https://orientamento.unich.it/servizi-gli-studenti/disabilita-e-dsa