Educational objectives Knowledge
This course aims at providing students with hands-on knowledge of the main thematic and stylistic features
of texts representative of classical Islamic intellectual tradition through a direct approach to sources, partly
in Arabic, partly in translation. Another objective is to provide a practical understanding of the peculiarities
and working principles of some specific research tools of Islamic studies.
Skills
This course aims at planting the following skills in the students’ minds:
- Using some research tools, developed either by Arabo-Islamic or Western scholars, in either paper
or digital format: Qur’an and hadith concordances, specialized encyclopedias, bibliographical
annuals, repertoires of works and authors, biographical dictionaries, etc.
- Dealing critically with open questions of religious historiography, taking the issues analyzed
throughout the course as a starting example.
- Recognizing some distinctive thematic and stylistic features of texts representative of different
religious and secular sciences of classical Islam, such as theology, philosophy, law, sufism, Qur’anic
exegesis; being able to distinguish the relevant elements within composite texts.
- Presenting and discussing a classical Islamic religious book before an audience (in this case, before
the class) based on precise directions, and relying on a translated edition with a few passages in the
original language.
- Reading, understanding and analyzing classical religious texts in Arabic (or, for those not studying
Arabic, in the Oriental language of their choice). The objective here is that students reach at least
an introductory level of knowledge, working on passages studied under the teacher’s direction, and
that they overcome that complex and that sense of awe that classical Islamic texts usually inspire
even in the most motivated and well-versed.
- Using in an appropriate way some more technical terms from religious studies, especially from
Islamic studies, in addition to the ones already learnt during their bachelor studies, including Arabic
terminology; all this, without neglecting more general propriety of language, as far as both lexicon
and syntax are concerned.
- Being able to pursue their study of this discipline independently (and feeling motivated to do it) at
a scientific research level, building both upon bibliographical suggestions provided throughout the
course, and upon some examples of open debates in Islamic studies which will have been shown by
the teacher.
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Educational objectives Given for granted some basic and indispensable goals (knowledge and understanding in the field of studies; ability to apply knowledge and understanding; capability of critical analysis; ability to communicate about what has been learned; skills to undertake further studies with some autonomy), the course intends to attain the following specific objectives: knowledge of the main elements of Islamic religion, theology (kalam), and culture; knowledge of the main authors and issues of the falsafa (Islamic philosophy), with particular reference to its classical period (9th century – 12th century). The student will also become familiar with the technical vocabulary of Islamic philosophy, and will be able to identify the main literature on the subject. Other objectives are the following: knowledge of the translatio studiorum of philosophical and scientific texts; awareness of the debt owed by Jewish and Latin thought to Islamic philosophy and science; ability to orient oneself with respect to different linguistic and historical milieus; enhancing critical awareness of our past.
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