Class: V language
Period: second semester
provided Total time: 6 hours
Prerequisites:
- L 'teaching unit in question is designed as an integral part of a module on nihilism developed over the last year.
- E 'provided the knowledge of the origins of the term nihilism when German philosophy in light of the controversy about idealism and Kantian criticism (controversy between Fichte and Jacobi). The term in its most popular use refers to '800 (1882 Turgenev and Dostoyevsky) and is referred to as the current of thought and action atheistic, revolutionary, materialist and positivist. In "Fathers and Sons" Bazarov young doctor and scientist stands as a hero of the denial that breaks all traditions and authorities nihilist is one who does not bow before any authority. In this sense the moment of action is stressed in its orientation positivistic and scientistic. Nihilism in Russia will turn to terrorist groups (Serguei Nechaev: absolute lawfulness of the use of means).
In Nietzsche's nihilism takes no more values \u200b\u200bin relation to ethical aspects of political or religious, but refers to a strictly historical-philosophical characterization. Nihilism Nietzsche becomes overarching principle of explanation and interpretation of our civilization in its inexorable process of decay - a process that has its roots in the greek world with Socrates and Plato in distinguishing between true and false world world, which was later reworked by Christianity .
- Knowledge introductory biography of the Russian writer and political historical context in which it appears his work. (This form may also involve the teaching of history with regard to Russia 's 1800 and Professor of Letters).
training purposes :
This course unit enables students to grasp the same theme proposal in the light of a number of suggestions textual and linguistic registers. Inoltre, si intende offrire la possibilità di cogliere il tema del nichilismo in tutta la sua portata esistenziale. Dostoevskij, infatti, inserisce i problemi filosofici nel vivo della coscienza umana attraverso questi personaggi, che come dirà Bachtin, sono inghiottiti dall’idea . Per Dostoevskij non esistono idee “in sé”astratte, egli infatti rappresenta la verità come incarnata, ossia come persona che entra in rapporto con altre persone. La potenza della scrittura dostoevskijana e l’immediatezza del suo linguaggio consentono allo studente di sentirsi maggiormente coinvolto nella riflessione, poiché non si tratta di un pensiero astratto e indifferente, ma del senso stesso del nostro essere, dove at stake is our whole life. Also under polyphony that makes the dialogue of the characters dostoevskijani, students can experience a variety of viewpoints on the same issue, eviscerated in their extreme theoretical and existential.
It will also show how the problem of nihilism is not something that pertains only to speculation closed in its "ivory tower", and consequently interest Exclusive a ' elite of intellectuals or theologians. Our existence, and our every gesture, are marked by this incessant struggle for meaning. There is no place even to one who abdicates any radical question, which can avoid the horizon and consequently should not come to terms with nihilism. The man leads to be aware of a radical responsibility, because the sense is not offered as evidence of the intellect, but it is something that every day we choose even in seemingly trivial gestures.
Objectives:
knowledge : able to outline in general terms, the concept of nihilism in Dostoevsky's thought.
skills :
to interpret and revise the conceptual language (having both consciousness of the impossibility of bringing the work to mere conceptual schemes), hollowing out the nodes of philosophical reflection dostoevskijana , dramatized dialogues drawn from the Brothers Karamazov and Legend of the Grand Inquisitor.
Being able to highlight the peculiarities of the technique of argument Ivan Karamazov and faces the prospect of nihilism that is unfolding. Be able to explain the answer to Alyosha and highlight the criticism of the metaphysical reasoning.
know how to put the reflection of the Russian writer in the broader philosophical debate, creating, as it were, a dialogue between philosophy and literature . In particular is of great interest to compare Nietzsche's position with that of Dostoyevsky, highlighting the similarities but also very different outcomes.
Content and tempi :
- Presentazione dell’opera dostoevskiana e breve excursus sulla genesi del romanzo.
Introduzione ai personaggi presi in esame: Ivan Karamazov che, con la sua lucidità rettilinea ed implacabile, rappresenta l’anima nichilistica odierna e Alëša, a cui Dostoevskij affida la sua risposta ultima.
Lettura in classe dei brani tratti dai Fratelli Karamazov, tr.it. di A. Villa, Einaudi, 1949 Torino, cap. IV Ribellione, cap. V Legend of the Grand Inquisitor pp317-352, ch. IX, the devil. Ivan Karamazov's nightmare , pp 834-852 (these pages will be selected some salient passages, the reading will be done at home).
To begin with introductory class would read in the letter that Dostoevsky wrote to Fonvizina to show the peculiarities of Dostoevsky's thought.
After the confrontation with the literary text, we will proceed at the time of philosophical and theming of the central core of the argument of the characters.
Ivan's rebellion is divided into two co-essential and inseparable.
In the first part the protagonist raises the problem of evil, playing in that form is outrageous that the suffering of innocent suffering that define Pareyson useless. The exploitation of unnecessary suffering, its very existence evokes the scandal and provides the absurdity of the world, needless suffering and existence of God are incompatible, just the suffering of a child only to refute its existence.
If the first party terminates the failure of creating the second part, carried out in Legend , denounced the failure of redemption, since Christ, far from liberating man from suffering, not merely enhanced giving him the intolerable burden of freedom. In this way, Ivan, as a critic of creation and redemption, proclaims the end of theism and Christianity, which places the horizon of his program full of nihilism, which contains light show with a sense of current philosophical issues. In the three temptations that the "spirit of self-destruction and not" turn to Christ are enclosed in the future of humanity. Here there is a rebellion to what could be more land in humans, with their backs to the sublime elevation of the commandments of Christ, which is derived from a fundamental misunderstanding. The man is constitutionally the most vile and turns to a new idol in a position to meet the deepest needs of his nature. The Inquisitor rebels by amending the deeds through the acceptance of all three recommendations of the spirit of love for humanity. As noted by Rozanov most ardent love for the man merges with the absolute contempt. Humanity is therefore given to a nearly animal condition, reduced to the satisfaction of pure need. This degradation allows men to be free at least from the agony of having to endure the light of the irredenzione redeemability. And just as God kills a man wanting to save, so man must kill God to bring about his salvation. As acknowledged
Rozanov, nihilism Ivan is absolutely original and dangerous than the classic rebuttals. His speech appears to be extremely ambiguous: he accepts in full compliance with traditional ideas, but to empty from the inside, to show at the end as they annihilate themselves. Ivan's rebellion arose from a genuine religious inspiration, with indignation in the face of human suffering sinks in the world of everyday life has always been reconciled with itself, falls within the scope dell'amoralismo, about the ethics of anything goes . Ivan's atheism, the religious leaders of indignation and rejection of the Promethean , do not hesitate to dive into a life reduced to mere topicality, where it kills all the dissension, where choice itself loses its tragic face, since the whole is allowed actually empties it of its reality is a descent into senso.Questa figurative image that appears in the devil to Ivan. The devil is not Lucifer, the fallen angel, sublime in its infernal light, but a mediocre and conventional gentleman, dressed impeccably elegant but not completely reconciled with reality and whose only ideal is embodied definitively a fat shopkeeper who weighs a ton, and then believe everything you think, and go to church and light a candle with all my heart. In this trivialization of demonic there is less to his exhaustion with regard to its absolute triumph. The soporific nature of the banal with his apparent calm vigilance disarms, and with its innocuous appearance leads to the complete negation.
However, the nihilism of Ivan is not the last word of Dostoevsky: The Nihilism of Ivan is final, that of Dostoevsky and methods and culminates in a port of religion.
shows how the nihilism of Dostoevsky's Ivan is substantially dependent on the metaphysical rationalism, in fact claiming to be God's explanation of suffering, continues to conceive of the deity in terms of fundamental principles, reason Last of the world. Dostoevsky than this identification, entrusting his answer to Alyosha, who points out how God is not to explain evil, but to take it upon himself. And it's always Alyosha to unmask the alleged nobility of the inquisitor, showing how the intimate nature of his deeds sinks in absolute despair. Nell'Inquisitore there is no trace of passion and love for the Promethean man: he sets up his stakes and act promptly to the welfare of those to whom obedience calls, with the knowledge of the official, who knows that you will need plain hope-Duration: 3 hours.
Verification : Theme will be proposed in which two modes of conduct to be chosen. In the first, you are prompted to rebuild starting from the work done in class, a reflection on nihilism, which should also emerge a personal elaboration of the concept. The second proposal, the student invents a sort of story-box to reveal his thoughts on the subject. - Estimated time: two hours.
Evaluation: This will be evaluated on class discussion, both work individually.
criteria:
the relevance of reflection and the capacity for processing concept of the literary text;
the ability to create a dialogue between the positions covered
be able to develop a personal reflection
the originality of the theme
Methodology: Lectures, reading selected passages from the text above and some steps of the Genealogy of Morals , lesson through dialogue.
Tools: photocopies of selected passages of the texts mentioned above and the essay.
Recommended readings for the teacher :
Bakhtin, M., Dostoevsky. poetic and stylistic , tr.it. G. Garritano, Einaudi, Torino 1968;
Givone, S., and philosophy Dostoevsky, Biblioteca di Cultura Moderna Laterza, Bari 1984;
Pareyson., unnecessary suffering in Dostoevsky, " Journal of metaphysics ", IV, 1, January-April 1982;
Rozanov, V., Legend of the Grand Inquisitor , tr.it N. Honeysuckle, Marietti, Genova, 1989.
