Philosophy

Shaping Modernity. Themes and Problems of Baudelaire's Aesthetics Through the analysis of some conceptually decisive figures that are at the centre of Baudelaire's aesthetic project, the course aims to show how such a project is in fact hinged around the far from obvious and indeed highly problematic attempt to ‘give form’ to the very idea of ‘modernity’. By this, in fact, we are alluding to the idea that Baudelaire's work can be re-understood as an eminent place deputed to the exhibition, that is to the ‘transformation into image’, of the very ‘conditions of representability’ of the modern. This is what will be shown, on the one hand, through the reading of some Baudelairean texts that are undoubtedly exemplary for their aesthetically founding character (texts of an ‘essayistic’ nature, but also texts of a ‘poetic-literary’ nature) and, on the other hand, through the exploration of a series of motifs whose focus is at the centre of Benjamin's reflection on the triple constellation ‘mimesis-modernity-allegory’. This constellation finds in Baudelaire, in the ‘dialectical image’ of the ‘artist-flâneur’, one of its philosophically salient condensation points.

A knowledge corresponding to the level of the bachelor’s degree in philosophy is required. In particular, it is needed a general knowledge of the history of philosophy, with particular reference to the aesthetical lexicon.

1) C. Baudelaire, Scritti sull’arte, it. ed. by G. Guglielmi and E. Raimondi, Einaudi, Torino 2004, only the following parts: Preface by E. Raimondi, pp. VII-LIII; Salon del 1846, pp. 54-123; L’arte filosofica, pp. 203-209; Salon del 1859, pp. 212-277; Il pittore della vita moderna, pp. 278-313; 2) C. Baudelaire, Lo Spleen di Parigi. Piccoli poemi in prosa, it. ed. by F. Rella, Feltrinelli, Milano 2020, only the following parts: Introduction by F. Rella (“La ricerca di Baudelaire”), pp. 7-22; A Arsène Houssaye, pp. 34-37; Lo straniero, pp. 38-39; Il confiteor dell’artista, pp. 40-43; Il cattivo vetraio, pp. 52-59; Le folle, pp. 64-67; Il vecchio saltimbanco, pp. 72-77; L’invito al viaggio, pp. 84-89; Il tirso, pp. 150-153; Ubriacatevi, pp. 154-155; Perdita d’aureola, pp. 182-183; Epilogo, pp. 204-205. 3) W. Benjamin, Angelus Novus. Saggi e frammenti, it. ed. by R. Solmi, Einaudi, Torino 1995, only the following parts: Sulla facoltà mimetica, pp. 71-74; Parco centrale, pp. 131-144; Parigi. La capitale del XIX secolo, pp. 145-160; Afterword by F. Desideri (“Apocalissi profana: figure della verità in Walter Benjamin”), pp. 309-339; 4) A. Valentini, Rappresentare la modernità: aura, choc e allegoria nello sguardo del “flâneur”, in “Comprendre. Revista catalana de filosofia”, 25/1, 2023, pp. 29-47 (paper available on line at the following link: https://raco.cat/index.php/Comprendre/article/view/414089/508917 ); 5) A. Valentini, Nel segno del possibile. Arte e immaginazione in Baudelaire, in “Studi di Estetica”, 1, 2015, pp. 89-109 (paper available on line at the following link: https://journals.mimesisedizioni.it/index.php/studi-di-estetica/article/view/408/706 ); 6) A. Valentini, La figura del “tirso” come exemplum dell’opera d’arte. Riflessioni sul nesso arte-immaginazione in Baudelaire, in “Materiali di Estetica”, 4, 1, 2017, pp. 452-483 (paper available on line at the following link: https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/MdE/article/view/9575/9061 ).

Attending the course is highly recommended.

The evaluation consists of an oral examination. The following will be assessed (also during the course): 1. Knowledge and comprehension of the texts covered in the course, from their most general aspects down to their details; in particular, the students' ability to read and comment on the texts covered in the course from an aesthetic-philosophical perspective will be assessed, as will their ability to critically analyse specific aspects of them (evaluation points 1-15); 2. The students' ability to express themselves and to master the vocabulary (evaluation points 1-10); 3. The ability to establish transversal connections between the different texts in the programme, as well as between the different themes and problems emerging from their analysis (evaluation points 1-5).

1) R. Brague, Image vagabonde. Essai sur l’imaginaire baudelairien, Les Éditions de la transparence, Chatou 2008; 2) G. Conio, Baudelaire. Etude de Les Fleurs du Mal. Analyse et commentaires, Marabout, Alleur 1992; 3) F. Desideri, M. Baldi, Benjamin, Carocci, Roma 2010; 4) G. Froidevaux, Baudelaire. Représentation et modernité, José Corti, Paris 1989; 5) B. Johnson, Défigurations du langage poétique, Flammarion, Paris 1979; 6) P. Labarthe, Baudelaire et la tradition de l’allégorie, Droz, Genève 2015; 7) A. Pinotti (a cura di), Costellazioni. Le parole di Walter Benjamin, Einaudi, Torino 2018; 8) A. Prete, I fiori di Baudelaire. L’infinito nelle strade, Donzelli, Roma 2007; 9) Bibliographic indications contained in the teacher's papers included in the examination texts.

Frontal lessons and seminar/workshop discussion of the topics covered. The texts presented will be read, commented and interpreted, under an aesthetical-philosophical perspective, also by means of the valorisation of the intertextual links and by using historical-artistic and historical-literary references, with the aim to focus on and to newly understand the theoretical questions object of the course. The first lessons of the course will have an introductory character (under both the theoretical and the methodological profile). The following lessons will be dedicated to the reading and to the analysis of the adopted texts. The attention will be oriented, in particular, towards the exploration of the principal theoretical and problematic knots of the course.

Shaping Modernity. Themes and Problems of Baudelaire's Aesthetics Through the analysis of some conceptually decisive figures that are at the centre of Baudelaire's aesthetic project, the course aims to show how such a project is in fact hinged around the far from obvious and indeed highly problematic attempt to ‘give form’ to the very idea of ‘modernity’. By this, in fact, we are alluding to the idea that Baudelaire's work can be re-understood as an eminent place deputed to the exhibition, that is to the ‘transformation into image’, of the very ‘conditions of representability’ of the modern. This is what will be shown, on the one hand, through the reading of some Baudelairean texts that are undoubtedly exemplary for their aesthetically founding character (texts of an ‘essayistic’ nature, but also texts of a ‘poetic-literary’ nature) and, on the other hand, through the exploration of a series of motifs whose focus is at the centre of Benjamin's reflection on the triple constellation ‘mimesis-modernity-allegory’. This constellation finds in Baudelaire, in the ‘dialectical image’ of the ‘artist-flâneur’, one of its philosophically salient condensation points.

A knowledge corresponding to the level of the bachelor’s degree in philosophy is required. In particular, it is needed a general knowledge of the history of philosophy, with particular reference to the aesthetical lexicon.

1) C. Baudelaire, Scritti sull’arte, it. ed. by G. Guglielmi and E. Raimondi, Einaudi, Torino 2004, only the following parts: Preface by E. Raimondi, pp. VII-LIII; Salon del 1846, pp. 54-123; L’arte filosofica, pp. 203-209; Salon del 1859, pp. 212-277; Il pittore della vita moderna, pp. 278-313; 2) C. Baudelaire, Lo Spleen di Parigi. Piccoli poemi in prosa, it. ed. by F. Rella, Feltrinelli, Milano 2020, only the following parts: Introduction by F. Rella (“La ricerca di Baudelaire”), pp. 7-22; A Arsène Houssaye, pp. 34-37; Lo straniero, pp. 38-39; Il confiteor dell’artista, pp. 40-43; Il cattivo vetraio, pp. 52-59; Le folle, pp. 64-67; Il vecchio saltimbanco, pp. 72-77; L’invito al viaggio, pp. 84-89; Il tirso, pp. 150-153; Ubriacatevi, pp. 154-155; Perdita d’aureola, pp. 182-183; Epilogo, pp. 204-205. 3) W. Benjamin, Angelus Novus. Saggi e frammenti, it. ed. by R. Solmi, Einaudi, Torino 1995, only the following parts: Sulla facoltà mimetica, pp. 71-74; Parco centrale, pp. 131-144; Parigi. La capitale del XIX secolo, pp. 145-160; Afterword by F. Desideri (“Apocalissi profana: figure della verità in Walter Benjamin”), pp. 309-339; 4) A. Valentini, Rappresentare la modernità: aura, choc e allegoria nello sguardo del “flâneur”, in “Comprendre. Revista catalana de filosofia”, 25/1, 2023, pp. 29-47 (paper available on line at the following link: https://raco.cat/index.php/Comprendre/article/view/414089/508917 ); 5) A. Valentini, Nel segno del possibile. Arte e immaginazione in Baudelaire, in “Studi di Estetica”, 1, 2015, pp. 89-109 (paper available on line at the following link: https://journals.mimesisedizioni.it/index.php/studi-di-estetica/article/view/408/706 ); 6) A. Valentini, La figura del “tirso” come exemplum dell’opera d’arte. Riflessioni sul nesso arte-immaginazione in Baudelaire, in “Materiali di Estetica”, 4, 1, 2017, pp. 452-483 (paper available on line at the following link: https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/MdE/article/view/9575/9061 ).

Attending the course is highly recommended.

The evaluation consists of an oral examination. The following will be assessed (also during the course): 1. Knowledge and comprehension of the texts covered in the course, from their most general aspects down to their details; in particular, the students' ability to read and comment on the texts covered in the course from an aesthetic-philosophical perspective will be assessed, as will their ability to critically analyse specific aspects of them (evaluation points 1-15); 2. The students' ability to express themselves and to master the vocabulary (evaluation points 1-10); 3. The ability to establish transversal connections between the different texts in the programme, as well as between the different themes and problems emerging from their analysis (evaluation points 1-5).

1) R. Brague, Image vagabonde. Essai sur l’imaginaire baudelairien, Les Éditions de la transparence, Chatou 2008; 2) G. Conio, Baudelaire. Etude de Les Fleurs du Mal. Analyse et commentaires, Marabout, Alleur 1992; 3) F. Desideri, M. Baldi, Benjamin, Carocci, Roma 2010; 4) G. Froidevaux, Baudelaire. Représentation et modernité, José Corti, Paris 1989; 5) B. Johnson, Défigurations du langage poétique, Flammarion, Paris 1979; 6) P. Labarthe, Baudelaire et la tradition de l’allégorie, Droz, Genève 2015; 7) A. Pinotti (a cura di), Costellazioni. Le parole di Walter Benjamin, Einaudi, Torino 2018; 8) A. Prete, I fiori di Baudelaire. L’infinito nelle strade, Donzelli, Roma 2007; 9) Bibliographic indications contained in the teacher's papers included in the examination texts.

Frontal lessons and seminar/workshop discussion of the topics covered. The texts presented will be read, commented and interpreted, under an aesthetical-philosophical perspective, also by means of the valorisation of the intertextual links and by using historical-artistic and historical-literary references, with the aim to focus on and to newly understand the theoretical questions object of the course. The first lessons of the course will have an introductory character (under both the theoretical and the methodological profile). The following lessons will be dedicated to the reading and to the analysis of the adopted texts. The attention will be oriented, in particular, towards the exploration of the principal theoretical and problematic knots of the course.