Philosophy

3 semester credits. This course tackles the puzzling questions raised by the rapid advancements of Artificial Intelligence. The course critically analyzes the theories of relevant philosophers, and it explores notions of consciousness, free will, and the very nature of intelligence itself, while evaluating the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI in warfare, job displacement, and human augmentation. Students will investigate the possibility of AI achieving personhood and ponder the meaning of creativity in an age of machine-generated content. The course comprises debates, thought experiments, and critical analysis of real-world scenarios, with the aim of challenging assumptions and questioning the future of humanity alongside intelligent machines.

3 semester credits. This course provides a comprehensive examination of ethical principles and their application to contemporary business practices. Students will engage with foundational ethical theories to analyze complex decision-making scenarios. The course explores the ethical obligations businesses hold towards various stakeholders, including society and the environment. Through case studies, discussions, and in-depth analysis of real-world situations, students will develop a robust framework for ethical decision-making applicable across diverse industries. This course equips future professionals with the critical thinking skills and ethical grounding necessary for navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the globalized business landscape.

3 semester credits. This course delves into the fundamental questions concerning the intersections of law, philosophy, and justice. Students will explore the philosophical underpinnings of the nature of law, its role in society, and its relationship to morality. Key topics include legal positivism, natural law theory, the aims of law, criminal law, tort law, and critical legal studies. Students will develop a critical understanding of legal concepts and theories. They will additionally learn to analyze complex legal issues, evaluate different perspectives, and articulate their own legal arguments, with the ultimate aim of structuring an informed understanding of the ethical and philosophical complexity of legal frameworks.

3 semester credits. This course examines the ethics of medical practices and issues in contemporary society. Coursework will pose questions regarding areas that affect human life and death. Topics include practices such as euthanasia, birth control and abortion, cloning, genetic engineering, and biomedical research. Students will analyze the ethical nature of covered practices, how they affect humans on individual and social scales, and the relationship between patients and physicians and medical structures in terms of information, consent, and responsibility. Case studies from local European as well as non-European countries will be closely considered for discussion and study.

3 semester credits. The aim of this course is to introduce fundamental moral theories and standards and to encourage their application - through mechanisms of moral reflection and judgment - to ethical problems arising throughout the world. The course is articulated through a large number and variety of studies of moral cases drawn from various parts of the world that will require students to consider prescriptive moral theories. The study of matters such as the French legislation against veils in schools, reproductive rights in Italy, U.S. drug laws, and Iranian censorship vs. the value of liberty will inevitably result in meta-ethical reflections in terms of thinking about the nature of morality and the limits of moral judgment.

3 semester credits. Starting from the dichotomy of logos-mythos in classical antiquity, this course will explore the evolution of philosophical thought in early modern Italy and its unique richness of trends: Christianity, Platonism, Neoplatonism, Aristotelianism, Hermeticism, and magic. The new vision of man and the universe, as well as the investigation of nature and the individual's cognition potential, addressed in connection with the progress of science, will be illustrated by the contributions of Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, Pietro Pomponazzi, Agostino Nifo, Leonardo da Vinci, Giordano Bruno, and Galileo Galilei. The course includes field visits to locations such as the Secret Rooms and the Room of the Elements in the Palazzo Vecchio, and a visit to the Museum of the History of Science.

3 semester credits. This course will introduce students to the world of walking as an artistic, philosophical, political, literary, inspirational - as well as physical - experience. While exploring different types of walking, the concept of "wanderlust" will also be analyzed and discussed from both an anthropological and philosophical perspective, to provide students with a thorough overview of the traveling and walking experience both in natural and urban landscapes. Different types of walking activities will be an integral component of the course, allowing students to reflect upon walking as an act of desire, escape, imagination, freedom, rebellion, and well-being. The classroom approach of this course is based on experiencing the city as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations.

Cross-listed from Mass Communication

Cross-listed from Art History

Cross-listed from Religious Studies

Cross-listed from Health Humanities