PART I ? Ancient and Modern Sources 1.Introduction: Philosophy and Affectivity 2. Plato?s View on Affectivity ? Phaedo, Republic [selected sections] 3. Aristotle?s Theory of Emotions ? De Anima, Rhetoric [selected sections] 4. R. Descartes on Passions ? Passions of the Soul [selected sections] 5. D. Hume?s Theory of Affective Experiences ? Treatise of Human Nature, Dissertation on the Passions [selected sections] 6. I. Kant?s Account of Affectivity ? Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View, The Metaphysics of Morals, Critique of Judgment [selected sections] PART II ? Contemporary Sources 7. F. Nietzsche?s on the Nature of Emotions and Passions ? The Gay Science, On the Genealogy of Morality [selected sections] 8. M. Nussbaum and the Intelligence of Emotions ? Upheavals of Thought [selected sections] 9. P. Ricoeur?s Phenomenology of Affectivity ? Freedom and Nature. The Voluntary and the Involuntary [selected sections] PART III ? Current Debates 10. M. Oele and Eco-Affectivity ? E-Co-Affectivity, Exploring Pathos at Life?s Material Interfaces [selected sections] 11. R. Acampora on Animal Ethics and Affectivity ? The Affective Turn in Animal Ethics 12. J. Sutton on Affective Experience and Memory ? Situated Affects and Place Memory 13. E. Wilson?s Analysis of Affectivity and AI ? Affect and Artificial Intelligence [selected sections] 14. Recapitulation and Conclusion
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This course explores the complex role of affectivity?emotions, feelings, passions, moods, and sensations?in human experience through the study of major philosophical texts. It examines how philosophers across Western history, including Plato, Aristotle, René Descartes, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martha Nussbaum, and Paul Ricoeur, have understood the relationship between affectivity, reason, identity, and action. The course also introduces the ?affective turn? of the 1960s?1970s, which challenged the dominance of rationalist approaches and emphasized the interconnectedness of body, mind, and emotional processes across philosophy and related disciplines. Through primary texts, secondary sources, and structured debates, students will explore how affects shape contemporary discussions in areas such as ecology, ethics, technology, and social and political life.
Competences acquired: The student can understand ideas, concepts, and methodologies used in their field of specialisation to examine the topic of affectivity. They can develop their critical thinking and participate in discussions of current issues dealing with the affective dimension of human existence. They can produce clear, well-structured texts on given complex topics.
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