Roberto Franzini Tibaldeo – författare

This book explores the contribution to education contained in the theoretical work and teaching practice of Matthew Lipman (1923-2010) and Ann Margaret Sharp (1942-2010). Their long-lasting cooperation gave rise to the well-known “Philosophy for Children” (P4C) curriculum, which is nowadays globally widespread. P4C basically relies on the following innovations: firstly, the unprecedented connection between philosophy and childhood; secondly, the reframing of philosophy in practical, viz., not reductively theoretical terms; thirdly, the employment of philosophy to foster democracy and moral capabilities through the development of children’s thoughtfulness and autonomous thinking, which would eventually result in empowering children’s social abilities and increasing their self-defence against consumerism, propaganda, and manipulation; finally, the stand against a strictly cognitivist approach to education. More than just contextualizing these innovations in the coeval historical and social context, the author shows that P4C’s revolutionary stance on education relies on the fruitfulness of Lipman and Sharp’s intellectual cooperation and on their manifold abilities as researchers, teachers, trainers, communicators, motivators, and community-builders. The book analyzes their philosophical-educational vision and the scholastic curriculum they developed jointly; additionally, it provides a critical appraisal of P4C’s achievements as well as of its future perspectives.

This text presents a critical synthesis of the thought of Hans Jonas (1903-1993), a philosopher of Jewish origin and former pupil of M. Heidegger and R. Bultmann in Marburg, who in 1933 fled from Nazi Germany to Palestine, Canada and finally settled in the USA. Jonas authored significant works on late-antique Gnosticism, the philosophy of life, philosophical anthropology, the ethics of responsibility, bioethics, and speculative theology. The book also proposes a comprehensive and innovative interpretation of Jonas’ thought in terms of a deep and relentless commitment to the future, in face of the perils of contemporary nihilism and present-day technology. The intrinsic complexity and heterogeneity of Jonas’ philosophical interests is probably the reason why a comprehensive and critical reconstruction of his thinking has yet to be carried out successfully in the English language. This book fills that gap.  By doing so, the authors clarify the role played by Jonas in the philosophy of the 20th century but also shed light on the possible contribution of his insights to present-day debates regarding science, ethics, bioethics, and politics. The authors argue that within the heterogeneity of his work reverberates a unitary and coherent existential attitude, which explains both his deep interest in life and his personal engagement in the preservation of its integrity. This work appeals to researchers and students in philosophy seeking to become more acquainted with the scholarship of Hans Jonas.

This text presents a critical synthesis of the thought of Hans Jonas (1903-1993), a philosopher of Jewish origin and former pupil of M. Heidegger and R. Bultmann in Marburg, who in 1933 fled from Nazi Germany to Palestine, Canada and finally settled in the USA. Jonas authored significant works on late-antique Gnosticism, the philosophy of life, philosophical anthropology, the ethics of responsibility, bioethics, and speculative theology. The book also proposes a comprehensive and innovative interpretation of Jonas’ thought in terms of a deep and relentless commitment to the future, in face of the perils of contemporary nihilism and present-day technology. The intrinsic complexity and heterogeneity of Jonas’ philosophical interests is probably the reason why a comprehensive and critical reconstruction of his thinking has yet to be carried out successfully in the English language. This book fills that gap.  By doing so, the authors clarify the role played by Jonas in the philosophy of the 20th century but also shed light on the possible contribution of his insights to present-day debates regarding science, ethics, bioethics, and politics. The authors argue that within the heterogeneity of his work reverberates a unitary and coherent existential attitude, which explains both his deep interest in life and his personal engagement in the preservation of its integrity. This work appeals to researchers and students in philosophy seeking to become more acquainted with the scholarship of Hans Jonas.