Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology

Intellectual history of the Arab, Iranian and Islamic world (8th-15th century)

Course objectives

In accordance with the educational objectives of the degree programme in which it is included, the course aims to provide, in the field of INTELLECTUAL HISTORY OF THE ARAB, IRANIC, ISLAMIC WORLD (VII-XV CENTURIES), knowledge and comprehension skills that, on the one hand, complement and/or reinforce those acquired in the first cycle of the History of Islamic World and, on the other hand, provide an introduction for those who have not yet studied this subject in the three-year degree programme. The course will enable students to to deal with original topics, also in a research context, to formulate judgements in a more complex and articulated form, to communicate knowledge and processes that led to its acquisition, and to study the topics independently. Through the topics covered in the lectures, the aim is to offer students an innovative vision of Islamic history and thought - including the religious minorities that have made great contributions to that history and thought: a vision that in many ways lies outside the usual paths of study of the history of the Muslim world.

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LEONARDO CAPEZZONE Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program

The monographic courses address issues related to the intellectual history of a world – that of Islam and the religious cultures that it has always included – that must be understood as a universe marked by the dynamics of majorities and minorities, having all the components of a common communication tool – Arabic, which is often also the translation language of external cultural traditions – and common categories of thought. The syllabus is made up of a primary corpus of texts (sources, provided in translation, or a monograph), and a secondary corpus of studies. Lessons will revolve around the reading and commentary of the sources, and the discussion of the interpretative proposals provided by the studies. Active participation of the audience is therefore expected, with which students can demonstrate their ability to establish connections and comparisons in light of their skills acquired during the course, or coming from other teachings of the Degree Course. During 2025-2026 the monographic course is entitled The meaning of the past. Historiography, (pre-)archaeology, fiction.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites are required. However, it is desirable for students to have taken the History of Islamic World or any other teaching related to SSD L-OR/10 in the three-year degree course.

Books

Before Archaeology. The meaning of the past in the Islamic Pre-modern Thought (and after), edited by L. Capezzone, Roma, Artemide, 2020.

Frequency

Attendance is not mandatory. However, it is an important evaluation criterion at the time of the exam. To aspire to the maximum grade, an attendance of at least 70% of the lessons is required. The teacher will record attendance randomly during the course.

Exam mode

The criteria for evaluating the knowledge acquired are in line with the expected learning outcomes. However, it should be added that attendance at the course, although not compulsory, is another criterion for positive evaluation, given the importance attached by the teacher to the active participation of the audience in the discussions that characterise the progress of the course.

Bibliography

The course bibliography is given as the course progresses, and is based on the in-depth studies requested directly by students.

Lesson mode

The first part of the lessons is dedicated to illustrating the main themes of the course (learning new knowledge = traditional frontal teaching): the second part will have a strong seminar aspect, aimed at the in-depth study and discussion of the topics covered.