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79501-01 - Lecture: Italian Political Thought from Machiavelli to Botero (2 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Gabriele Bucchi (gabriele.bucchi@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | During the 14th and 15th centuries, Italian humanism focused on the figure of the Statesman and governor in treatises and writings on the way to be a good sovereign. The period of the Italian Wars, with its upheavals and daily changes in alliances and forms of government, brought the need to rethink the figure of the Stateman in terms of historical reality rather than an ideal model. From The Prince by Machiavelli (1513–1518) to Reason of State by Botero (1589), Italy produced a body of political thought that had a significant impact in Europe in redefining the figure of the Statesman and the sovereign. The course is devoted to showing the role played by Italian political thought in the Early Modern period, both in its engagement with the reception of authors from the past (Livy, Tacitus) and in its anticipation of modern political theory (Bodin, Hobbes). The texts will be read in the original Italian with English translation. |
| Bibliography | Niccolò Machiavelli, The prince, translated, edited, and with an introduction by William J. Connell, Boston, Bedford/St.Martins, 20051. Giovanni Botero, The reason of State, [edited by] Robert Bireley, Cambridge, Cambridge Univ, Press, 2017. POCOCK G. A., The Machiavellian Moment. Florentine Political Thought and the Atlantic Republican Tradition, Princeton University Press, Princeton 1975. SCHELLHASE, K., Tacitus in Renaissance Political Thought, University of Chicago Press, Chicago – London, 1976. BIRELEY, R., The Counter-Reformation Prince. Anti-Machiavellianism or Catholic Statecraft in Early Modern Europe, University of Carolina Press, Chapel Hill – London, 1990. VIROLI, M., From Politics to Reason of State. The acquisition and transformation of the language of politics 1250-1600, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1992. BROOKE, C., Philosophic Pride: Stoicism and political thought from Lipsius to Rousseau, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2012. Machiavelli's Prince : traditions, text and translations, edited by Nicola Gardini and Martin McLaughlin, Roma, Viella, 2017. |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 16.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 23.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 30.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 07.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 14.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 21.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 28.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 04.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 11.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 18.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 25.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 02.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 09.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Wednesday 16.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 114 |
| Modules |
Doktorat Italienische Literaturwissenschaft: Empfehlungen (PhD subject: Italian Literature) Literary Studies: Recommendations (PhD subject: Literary Studies) Modul: Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Slavic Studies) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: English) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: German Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Latin Philology) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's Studies - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) Module: Italian Literary Studies (Master's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | one repetition, repetition counts |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Italianistik |