History of contemporary philosophy
PROF. ROBERTA CORVI
COURSE AIMS
To provide the main philosophical categories of the twentieth century in
relation to themes of undoubted interest to psychology such as man, knowledge,
language and the body-mind relationship. A general treatment of these themes will
be followed by an analytical reading of a text aimed at studying in detail a topic in
order to complete the general preparation.
COURSE CONTENT
1. Introduction to contemporary philosophy
Chronological references. General features of twentieth century philosophy:
Nietzsche’s role; the crisis between the end of the nineteenth century and the
beginning of the twentieth century. Survey of twentieth century philosophy: the
analytical outline; the continental outline.
2. Themes and issues of contemporary philosophy
– What is man? Man as symbolic animal; man as knowing subject; man as
Dasein; man as project.
– What is mind? The body-mind problem: dualism and monism; some varieties of
monism.
– What is knowledge? The phenomenological conception; the pragmatic
conception; the scientific conception.
– What is truth? Truth as correspondence; truth as coherence; the observationtheory relationship.
– What is language? Language as expression of thought; language as picture of
the world; language as language games; language as communication activity;
language as disclosure of the world.
3. The concept of mind in contemporary philosophy.
READING LIST
R. CORVI, Itinerari di filosofia contemporanea, EDUCatt, Milano, 2014.
E. CARLI (edited by), Cervelli che parlano, Bruno Mondadori, Milano 2003, pp. 23-86, 109-
128, 151-211.
TEACHING METHOD
Class lectures.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Written and oral examination.
NOTES
Further indications will be provided during the course.
Professor Roberta Corvi sees students at the PIME as notified during lectures.
Further information can be found on the lecturer's webpage at
http://docenti.unicatt.it/web/searchByName.do?language=ENG or on the Faculty notice
board.