1

 18/09

Programme presentation.                                                                                                  

 Bibliography

2

 20/09

Renaissance – exploration of the concept.                                                                                          The English Renaissance.

Readings: C. S. Lewis, “New Learning, New Ignorance”, 1954;

M.A.R. Habib, “Introduction to the Renaissance”. https://habib.camden.rutgers.edu/introductions/renaissance/

3

 25/09

The Tudors: the centralisation of power and the rise of nationalism

4

 27/09

The religious schism. Protestant Reformation.

5

30/09

Reading of Thomas More’s Utopia

6

 02/10

Reading of Thomas More’s Utopia

7

04/10

Ideologies from Renaissance to Enlightenment

From the centralisation of the royal power to absolutism:

The first Stuarts and the Civil War.

8

09/10

Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate.

Analysis of Cromwell’s speeches:

https://www.olivercromwell.org/Letters_and_speeches/speeches/Speech_5.pdf

https://www.olivercromwell.org/Letters_and_speeches/speeches/Speech_3.pdf

9

11/10

Hobbes’ s absolutism.

Approach of “On Commonwealth” Leviathan

10

 16/10

 From Restoration to the Constitutional Monarchy.

Parliamentarism. John Locke’s theory.

Reading of Second Treatise of Government (excerpts)

11

 18/10

Reading of Locke’s Second Treatise of Government (excerpts)

12

23/10

Revisions

13

 25/10

WRITTEN TEST

14

 30/10

Enlightenment and knowledge

The Scientific Revolution – from Galileo’s legacy to Newton’s paradigm:

01/11

Holiday

15

30/10

Enlightenment and knowledge

The dissemination of knowledge: The scientific societies.

Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis.

16

06/11

Enlightenment and knowledge

Dominant philosophic thought: rationalism, empiricism and idealism

17

13/11

Enlightenment and knowledge

Dominant philosophic thought: rationalism, empiricism and idealism

18

 15/11

 Enlightenment: exploration of a concept.

Reading of Kant’s “What is Enlightenment?”.

19

 20/11

The building of the British empires the relationship between the metropolis and the colonies.

Adam Smith’s perspective: excerpts of The Wealth of the Nations.

20

22/11

Economic models: from mercantilism to liberalism

21

27/11

The rise of national identities

American Revolution: causes; from litigation to armed conflict; consequences The rise of citizenship

Reading: The Declaration of Independence, 1776

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

22

 29/11

The rise of national identities.

Reading of excerpts of Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man.

23

04/12

The rise of citizenship

The French Revolution: social, economic and political causes; the emergence of political parties; international impact.

Reading of excerpts of Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man.

24

 06/12

The Street and the City Conference

25

11/12

The gender question: from education to civic and political rights.

Reading of excerpts of Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792).

26

 13/12

Revisions

27

18/12

Written test

28

 20/12

Final considerations