ORIGINI DELLA MODERNITÀ
Both written and oral, with modalities to be specified in class, for attending students. Oral exclusively, for non attending students.
The course aims, on the one hand, to stimulate a critical understanding of some great themes of European modernity, on the other, to encourage the development of skills strategic to the professional practice in the field of linguistic and cultural mediation: knowing how to evaluate the reliability of the sources from which one draws; to define concepts by abstraction; to orient oneself in time and space; to establish the right relationship between cause and effect; to reach conclusions that are correct relative to a set of premises; to appreciate the complexity of the human experience.
From medieval to early modern. The Renaissance. Geographical discoveries and European expansion overseas. The emergence of a new political form: the modern State in its multiple manifestations (France, Spain, England, the Habsburg monarchy). Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The wars of religion. The Rise and decline of the Dutch supremacy. The Thirty Years war. The English revolutions.The absolutism of Louis XIV. The war of the Spanish Succession and the new European system. The colonial trade. The Enlightenment and the reform program of enlightened despotism. The birth of the United States. From the crisis of the old regime to the outbreak of the French revolution.
For a general overview, students are recommended to adopt C. CAPRA, "Storia moderna (1492-1848)", Firenze, Le Monnier 2004 (or any other subsequent edition), topics listed in the course program only. Students are additionally required to choose any two of the following essays from the "Manuale di storia Donzelli. Storia moderna", Donzelli, Roma 1998: G. IMBRUGLIA, "Alla conquista del mondo: la scoperta dell’America e l’espansione europea"; S. PEYRONEL RAMBALDI, "La Riforma protestante"; M. CARAVALE, "La nascita dello Stato moderno"; G. FRAGNITO, "Religioni contro: l’Europa nel secolo di ferro"; F. BENIGNO, "Rivoluzione e civiltà mercantile"; E. FASANO, "L’assolutismo"; G. PAGANO, "Il dominio coloniale"; G. ABBATTISTA, "La Rivoluzione americana"; A. M. RAO, "La Rivoluzione francese". The above essays can be replaced with G.J.AMES, "L’età delle scoperte geografiche. 1500-1700", Il Mulino, Bologna 2011. As historical developments are only understood in their proper geographical dimension, students are warmly invited to consult the new Atlante Storico at Atlasmundi.com (http://www.silab.it/storia/europa/) or any other historical atlas.
Lectures.
Office hours every day following appointment by email to the indicated addresses, guglielmosanna@hotmail.com or guglielmosanna@uniss.it