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2020/2021

Philosophy of History

Code: 100302 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500246 Philosophy OB 3 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Martha Palacio Avendaño
Email:
Martha.Palacio@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

Proficiency in Spanish and English Languages.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The discipline of philosophy of history was born in Modernity, from which it acquires part of its language and purpose: to explain the social and political change as a result of the use of the freedom of human beings. According to that, the course focuses on the study of philosophical reflection that has provided us with a language to ponder when and how to identify the meaning of historical times. For this, we will study the texts of the classical authors of this discipline, but also the criticisms of the language of modernity from postmodern thought, feminist theory, and postcolonialism. The main objective is to attend to the initial matrix of the discipline and its movements so that the students can score theoretical analysis tools that also allow them to enter their present.

The specific objectives of the subject are the following:

  1.  Understanding the main problems of the discipline
  2. To know the main theoretical approaches in the treatment of these problems
  3. To be familiar with the main texts and speeches of the tradition from Kant to the present
  4. Understanding the vocabulary and the argument developed in the past
  5. Establishing a dialogue between the texts and ideas of the tradition and the present as history
  6. To cultivate the sense of history in the student as a key of the understanding of social and cultural problems
  7. To cultivate the capabalities for narration in the student

Competences

  • Analysing and summarising the main arguments of fundamental texts of philosophy in its various disciplines.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Placing the most representative philosophical ideas and arguments of a period in their historical background and relating the most important authors of each period of any philosophical discipline.
  • Recognising and interpreting topics and problems of philosophy in its various disciplines.
  • Recognising the philosophical implications of the scientific knowledge.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Thinking in a critical and independent manner on the basis of the specific topics, debates and problems of philosophy, both historically and conceptually.
  • Using the symbology and procedures of the formal sciences in the analysis and building of arguments.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analysing historical cases about scientific facts.
  2. Applying philosophical rigour in a written text following the international quality standards.
  3. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  4. Carrying out oral presentations using an appropriate academic vocabulary and style.
  5. Communicating in the studied language in oral and written form, properly using vocabulary and grammar.
  6. Demonstrating a personal stance over a problem or controversy of philosophical nature, or a work of philosophical research.
  7. Distinguishing and analysing representative texts of the main genres of the philosophical literature.
  8. Documenting a philosophical issue and contrasting its sources.
  9. Engaging in debates about philosophical issues respecting the other participants' opinions.
  10. Establishing relationships between science, philosophy, art, religion, politics, etc.
  11. Explaining aspects of the history of science by using the discipline's specific terminology.
  12. Explaining the philosophical importance of contemporary science and its implementation area.
  13. Identifying the main ideas of a related text and drawing a diagram.
  14. Indicating and discussing the main characteristics of the distinctive thought of a period and contextualizing them.
  15. Indicating and summarising the common content of several manifestations of various fields of culture.
  16. Mastering the relevant languages to the necessary degree in the professional practice.
  17. Organizing their own time and work resources: designing plans with priorities of objectives, calendars and action commitments.
  18. Producing an individual work that specifies the work plan and timing of activities.
  19. Reading thoroughly philosophical texts of the History of Philosophy.
  20. Recognising, with a critical eye, philosophical referents of the past and present and assessing its importance.
  21. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of scientific processes.
  22. Relating several ideas of the current philosophical debates.
  23. Relating the various orders of the philosophical ideas of different authors and historical moments.
  24. Rigorously building philosophical arguments.
  25. Solving problems autonomously.
  26. Summarising the topics and arguments exposed in a classical philosophical debate.
  27. Using specialized knowledge acquired in an interdisciplinary context when debating.

Content

1. The sense of time and history: Kant and Arendt
										
											2. On the idea of progress: Hegel and Marx.
										
											3. The fight for recognition: Honneth and Fraser.
										
											4. The discontinuity of time: W. Benjamin and Susan Buck Morss.
										
											5. Postmodernity and the end of history: J. F. Lyotard and R. Rorty.
										
											6. Historical silences on gender and postcoloniality: D. Haraway, G. Anzaldúa and J. Scott.

Methodology

The teaching methodology has three work fronts:

1. Theoretical classes. The program is organized following a reading schedule. Every day the teacher will present a topic that the students must prepare. The session will work from the presentation of the reading’s topics, some key concepts in the texts, and will include discussion with the students. If the face-to-face classes are modified, they will be adapted to the existing systems (teams, notes, podcasts)

2. Individualized tutorials or in small groups, made by the teacher during the hours of attention that will be arranged in advance. If it is not possible to do them in person, others of a virtual nature will be established.

3. Elaboration of personalized itineraries for the autonomous work of the student with special attention to the research work.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Tutorship 45 1.8 1, 15, 24, 6, 7, 10, 11, 5, 4, 14, 19, 9, 20, 22, 23, 21
Type: Supervised      
work at home 26 1.04 15, 24, 27, 6, 7, 8, 18, 12, 5, 4, 14, 17, 9, 20, 22, 26
Type: Autonomous      
Classes 71.5 2.86 1, 2, 7, 8, 16, 18, 13, 19, 17, 22, 23, 25, 26

Assessment

The evaluation will be done on three elements:

A) Specific writing exercises on some of the compulsory readings: exercise 1 = 10%; exercise 2 = 10%; exercise 3 = 10%; exercise 4 = 10%, for a total of 40% of the final grade.

B) A research work on a subject, work or author of the subject previously scheduled with the teacher. The work has a value of 45% of the final grade.

C) Participation and class attendance whose value on the final grade will be 15%. In the event that the modality of face-to-face classes is modified, this participation will be evaluated from the interventions in the virtual campus forums of the subject created for this purpose.

NOTE: In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

General information:

- At the beginning of the course, the format to follow for writing the philosophical essay will be communicated, and an expanded list of recommended readings will be provided.

- The calendar of activities to be attached at the beginning of the course indicates the dates of delivery the exercises and the essay.
- For a correct continuous evaluation, works will not be accepted outside the established dates.
- For more information, see the re-assestment criteria.

 

RE-ASSESTMENT CRITERIA: To access the Reassesment, you must have evaluated at least 2/3 of the final grade and have obtained a minimum of 3.5 in the final grade for the course.

NON-EVALUABLE STUDENTS: Students who do not submit 30% of the work or assignments under evaluation will be rated as NON-EVALUABLE.

 

WARNING: PLAGIARISM IS FORBIDDEN.

-In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process  that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Attendance and Participation 15% 0 0 1, 2, 15, 3, 24, 27, 6, 7, 8, 16, 10, 5, 4, 13, 14, 19, 17, 9, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26
Composition 40% 3.5 0.14 2, 24, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 5, 13, 14, 19, 17, 22, 23, 21, 26
Essay 45% 4 0.16 3, 24, 6, 8, 16, 18, 10, 12, 5, 13, 14, 19, 17, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26

Bibliography

References:

Anzaldúa, G. Borderlands / La Frontera. La conciencia de la nueva mestiza. Madrid: Capitán Swing, 2016.

Arendt, H. La promesa de la política. Madrid: Alianza, 2008.

____. La condición humana. Barcelona, Paidós, 2005.

Benjamin, W. Tesis sobre la filosofía de la historia. Madrid: Abada, 2008.

Buck-Morss, Susan. Hegel, Haití y la historia universal. México: FCE, 2013.

Fraser, Nancy y Jaeggi, Rahel. Capitalismo. Una conversación desde la Teoría crítica. Trad. de Roc Filella. Madrid: Morata. A Coruña: Fundación Paideia Galiza, 2019

Haraway, D. Ciencia, Cyborgs y mujeres. La reinvención de la naturaleza Madrid: Cátedra. Instituto de la Mujer, Universidad de Valencia, 1995.

Hegel, F. La fenomenología del espíritu. México: FCE, 1985.

____. Lecciones sobre la Filosofía de la historia universal. Madrid: Alianza, 2019.

Honneth, A. La lucha por el reconocimiento. Barcelona, Crítica, 1997.

Huntington, S.P. El choque de civilizaciones. Madrid: Paidós, 1993.

Kant, I.  Ideas para una historia universal en clave cosmopolita y otros escritos sobre filosofía de la historia. Madrid: Tecnos, 2010.

____. ¿Qué es la Ilustración? Madrid: Alianza, 2009.

Lyotard, J.F. La posmodernidad (explicada a los niños). Barcelona: Gedisa, 1988.

Marx, K. Manuscritos de economía y filosofía. Madrid: Alianza, 2001.

____. Manifiesto Comunista. Madrid: Alianza, 2008.

____. Introducción a la Crítica de la Economía Política. Madrid: Siglo XXI eds. 2008.

Palacio Avendaño, Martha. Gloria Anzaldúa: Poscolonialidad y feminismo. Barcelona: Gedisa, 2020.

Rorty, R.; Schneewind, J. B.; y Skinner, Q. La Filosofía en la historia. Barcelona: Paidós, 1990.

Scott, Joan.  Género e Historia. México: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2008.

 

 

Further Readings:

Atkinson, Ronald F. Knowledge and Explanation in History. Londres: MacMillan, 1989.

Burns, Robert M. y Hugh Rayment-Pickard. Philosophies of History: from Enlightenment to Post-modernity, Oxford: Blackwell, 2000.

Cruz, M. La filosofía de la historia, Barcelona: Paidós, 2008

Condorcet, Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat. Bosquejo de un cuadro histórico de los progresos del espíritu humano. Madrid: Editora nacional, 1980.

Collingwood, R. G. Idea de la Historia. México. Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2004.

Danto, Arthur. Historia y narración. Barcelona: Paidós, 1989.

Day, Marc. The Philosophy of History, Londres, Nueva York: Continuum,2008.

Hempel, C.G. “The Function of General Laws in History.” The Journal of Philosophy 39, no. 2 (1942): 35-48.

Lara, María Pía. Narrar el mal. Una teoría postmetafísica del juicio reflexionante, Barcelona: Gedisa, 2009. 

Mate, R. (ed.), Filosofía de la historia. Madrid: Trotta, 2005.

Mouffe, Ch. Agonística. Pensar el mundo políticamente. México: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2004.

Popper, K. La miseria del historicismo. Madrid: Alianza, 2002.

Taylor, Ch. Argumentos Filosóficos. Barcelona: Paidós, 1997.

Walsh, W. Introducción a la filosofía de la historia, 1968.