Students can attend the course after the enrollment interview scheduled on the website of ISLLI. Students who are completing their BA course may also attend the course.
The course has three main objectives:
a) to deal with a constellation of authors and cultural paradigms that represented the "Genie-Gedanke" in Goethezeit thanks to an overview of the critical-literary contributions of Hamann, Herder, Goethe, Hölderlin and Jean Paul, so that students know how to recognize their differences in a poetic and ideological sense.
b) to acquire a specific knowledge of the meaning of the word "Genie" in the light of cultural debates in Europe and through the analysis of specific texts, in order to acquire the necessary skills to interpret them on the basis of the historical-literary period in question.
c) to be informed about the modalities of the reception of Shakespeare in the German classical-romantic period in order to relate them to any previous or parallel studies referring to the English author
Following some indications of organization of the theme provided by Jochen Schmidt in the first part of the successful monograph "Die Geschichte des Genie-Gedankens in der deutschen Literatur, Philosophie und Politik 1750-1945" (I ed. 1985, II 2004) we examine the meaning of "genius" as a polemical tool against Enlightenment rationalism; the relationship between genius and "Humanität" is later explained, arriving at the definition of some historical-mythological paradigms of Goethe-Zeit concerning this cultural period: from the imposing presence in the European panorama of the figure of Prometheus and Pygmalion, the exaltation of the philosophical personality of Socrates and of the poetic one of Shakespeare. Topics relating to the right to education of men and women will be dealt with, also referring to pedagogy in vogue in the German eighteenth century.
The teaching takes place in German, through lectures but also in a seminar dimension, involving the students in reflecting on the topics covered and in the translation in the classroom of some selected passages of the texts in the program.
NB. In case of authority provisions
competent in the containment and management of epidemiological emergencies, teaching
could undergo changes compared to what is stated in the syllabus to make the course and exams in
in line with the provisions.
The exam will be taken by the students orally. There are three questions in German concerning:
1) the framing of the most important cultural perspectives of the literary panorama of the Goethe-Zeit and especially in relation to the concept of "genius" from the Sturm und Drang to Romanticism;
2) the critical framework of the historical-cultural role of the writers presented in the course;
3) the analysis of the main concepts examined in the course.
To obtain a positive judgment, students must be able to functionally frame the critical material presented and must know the salient aspects of the bibliographic material. To obtain a good judgment, students must demonstrate that they have a thorough knowledge of the texts analyzed during the course, commenting on them from a historical-critical point of view and correlating them to the bibliographic material. To obtain an excellent judgment, students must demonstrate that they have a homogeneous vision of the topics discussed, that they have an in-depth mastery of bibliographic material, that they know how to link the topics together and that they have excellent expressive control.
Erasmus and Double Degree students are kindly requested to contact the professor at the beginning of the course to discuss how to prepare for the exam. Students who have not followed the lessons related to the module can obtain support materials to integrate the course, after direct contact with the professor via mail.
FOR THE FINAL EXAM: Students are required to present themselves for the final exam with the texts and materials required by the program.
DOUBLE TITLE: First year students who intend to present themselves for the selection of the Double Title with Bochum, must have taken a 10 cfu exam by the end of the call in February. This examination is also intended for other courses that ended in December.
Double title candidates are recommended to attend the course.