Philosophy

The Averroistic Theory of Religion as a Beneficial Drug or Healthy Poison. Following a very short introduction to Islam and Arabic language, the course aims to offer students an overview of the most significant authors and issues of Arabic philosophy. After this necessary introduction, the course will be devoted to the great Muslim philosopher and jurist Ibn Rushd, otherwise known as Averroes (1126-1198), on the occasion of the ninth centenary of his birth. It will be shown, through the analysis of a specific theme, how his influence on so-called “Western” philosophy continued until the 18th century. In particular, an attempt will be made to reconstruct his theory of religion as a beneficial drug (or healthy poison) for the multitude, which is closely related, conversely, to a conception of philosophy as dangerous or harmful for the ignorant. This theory, clearly of Platonic descent, can be found in several passages of Averroes' monumental work (Long Commentary on Physics and Metaphysics, The Incoherence of the Incoherence, Compendium of Plato's Republic, Decisive Treatise) and will have considerable impact especially between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, in a context of unveiled criticism of all revealed religions. The famous Marxian adage – “religion is the opium of the people” – will in a sense constitute the epilogue of this long and complex history.

Good knowledge of the main thinkers of classical Greek and late ancient philosophy. In particular, it is very helpful to know the content of Aristotle’s Metaphysics (at least books I, II, V, VII, XII), Physics (at least book VIII), On the Soul, book III, 4-5, and Plato’s Republic. Knowledge of Arabic language is not required.

1. Peter Adamson, Philosophy in the Islamic World. A History of Philosophy without any Gaps, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2016, 511 pp. (da non confondere con la versione breve dello stesso libro: Philosophy in the Islamic World: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2015) 2. Averroes, Decisive Treatise and Epistle Dedicatory, ed. by Charles Butterworth, Brigham Young University Press, Provo (Utah) 2008 (esistono alcune traduzioni in italiano, ma se ne sconsiglia l’uso) 3. Antologia di testi di Averroè, Maimonide e Pomponazzi, accompagnati da alcuni saggi critici. I testi e i saggi saranno caricati sulla pagina Classroom del corso.

Attending the course is highly recommended

The evaluation consists of an oral examination. The following will be assessed (also during the course) 1. Knowledge and understanding of the texts covered by the course, from its most general aspects to its details; in particular, the students' ability to confront a philosophical text and to critically and personally analyse specific aspects of it will be assessed (evaluation points 1-12). 2. The students' ability to express themselves and to master, even in detail, the vocabulary (evaluation points 1-8). 3. Knowledge of the historical context (in relation to the thought of the authors covered by the course and in relation to the history of philosophy in general) (evaluation points 1-5). 4. The capability of original elaboration and personal exploration of the issues addressed (evaluation points 1-5).

1. Religione, storia, cultura islamica - Il Corano, a cura di Alessandro Bausani, BUR, Milano 2006 - Carole Hillenbrand, Islam. A New Historical Introduction, Thames and Hudson, London 2015 (trad. it.: Islam. Una nuova introduzione storica, Einaudi, Torino 2016) - Thomas E. Burman, Reading the Qur'an in Latin Christendom, 1140-1560, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 2007 - Leonardo Capezzone, Medioevo arabo. Una storia dell’Islam medievale, Mondadori, Milano 2016 - Francesco Gabrieli, La letteratura araba, Edizioni Accademia, Milano 1967 - Ira M. Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2014 - Dimitri Gutas, Greek Thought, Arabic Culture, Routledge, London 1998 (trad. it.: Pensiero greco e cultura araba, Einaudi, Torino 2002) - Mauro Zonta, Saggio di lessicografia filosofica araba, Paideia, Brescia 2014 - Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd Edition, E. J. Brill, Leiden 1960-2004, 12 vols - The New Cambridge History of Islam, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2010, 6 vols 2. Filosofia arabo-islamica - Oliver Leaman, An Introduction to Classical Islamic Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2002 - History of Islamic Philosophy, ed. by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Oliver Leaman, Routledge, London 1996 - Miguel Cruz Hernández, Storia del pensiero nel mondo islamico, Paideia, Brescia 1999-2000, 3 vols - Storia della filosofia nell’Islam medievale, a cura di Cristina D’Ancona, Einaudi, Torino 2005, 2 vols - The Cambridge Companion to Arabic Philosophy, ed. by Peter Adamson and Richard C. Taylor, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2005 - Entries on Arabic and Islamic philosophy in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (https://plato.stanford.edu/) - Jon McGinnis e David C. Reisman, Classical Arabic Philosophy. An Anthology of Sources, Hackett, Indianapolis 2007 - Mauro Zonta, La filosofia antica nel Medioevo ebraico. Le traduzioni ebraiche medievali dei testi filosofici antichi, Paideia, Brescia, 1996 - Leo Strauss, Persecution and the Art of Writing, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1988 (1st ed. 1952) - Leo Strauss, How to Study Medieval Philosophy, “Interpretation”, 23 (1996), pp. 321-338

Lectures with reconstruction of the context and reading, analysis and commentary of the texts. The original texts will be constantly taken into account. Seminar discussion of the topics covered and possibility of “flipped classroom” experiments.