PUBLIC ETHICS

This course aims at making students able to grasp the main concepts and theories of public and applied ethics, and of using them in their further studies. In particular, we want to promote argumentative skills, precise language and grasping of conceptual distinctions. A focus will be given to skills in discussion and project works. The topic of corruption will be a specific focus of some classes, where testimonials will be hosted.

A minimal familiarity with political philosophy and administrative law.

Knowledge and understanding This class aims to present to students philosophical principles and dilemmas relevant for public decisions or decisions of public importance, with particular attention to the notion of 'public interest', especially in connection with corruption issues. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding Knowledge and understanding of the principles of public ethics is fundamental for anyone who intends to work in political institutions or in public administration. These skills are achieved through the teaching, and also through the teaching methods, which include frontal lessons, seminar lessons, project work, case analysis. Competence checks are carried out through final and intermediate exams. The teaching activity takes place in a dynamic context, based on the partnership between teachers and learners. The active role of the students is guaranteed not only in the learning process, but also in the evaluation process: self-assessment peer-assessment assessment. Autonomy of judgment At the end of this course, the student is autonomously able to integrate knowledge and analyze the complexity of political phenomena from an ethical point of view, to identify the problems and indicate solutions, including shared solutions; all through the integration of data and empirical research, but also of specific conceptual apparatus. The student will have the critical tools to understand the dynamics and ethical aspects of social and political change, and to elaborate policy responses or strategies. This ability is achieved not only through traditional teaching, but also through participation in seminars, guest lectures and guided discussion of case studies and the implementation of project works. Autonomy will be assessed through written tests and drafts of original comments on topics to be studied in depth. In addition, the assignment of projects such as analysis and resolution of real-life cases requires capacity building to collect and processing up-to-date data and information. The student will therefore acquire a set of tools but also of an aptitude to apply them in an independent and and original way of analysing the problems in the workplace. Learning skills The student is able to deepen autonomously his or her knowledge. In particular he is able to: - a) elaborate her knowledge also in the form of debate on opposing theses prepared with specialized readings; - b) conduct research through the consultation of texts and specialist journals, or through the collection and analysis of data; - d) organise and manage work (initiative, teamwork, coordination of resources, supervision of work and time management, recruitment of responsibility, innovation in problem solving, flexibility of reasoning, ability to adapt to change and negotiating attitude). The strengthening of cultural skills (multidisciplinarity and deepening of linguistic knowledge) corresponds to the strengthening of personal skills, such as the ability to write and speak correctly in Italian, the ability to speak and write in Italian, the ability to speak in public (through the presentation of insights by students during the lessons); the ability to deepen research; the ability to be constantly updated by reading political and philosophical newspapers and magazines and other scientific publications.

The course is divided into seven modules: i. public ethics as an intersection among ethics, law and politics; ii. the story and the conceptual assumptions of various models of public ethics, applied ethics and general ethics; iii. corruption; iv. conflicts of interests; v. codes; vi. ethics in adjudication; vii. ethics of public service. Case studies and project works will be conducted. Two testimonials, from Transparency international and ANAC will be invited.

Final Exam: B.G. Mattarella. Le regole dell'onestà. Etica, politica, amministrazione, il Mulino, Bologna, 2007. B.G. Mattarella, La prevenzione della corruzione in Italia (commento alla legge 6 novembre 2012, n. 190), in Giornale di diritto amministrativo, 2013 E. D'Alterio, La trasparenza amministrativa, in La riforma della pubblica amministrazione. Commento alla legge 124/2015 (Madia) e ai decreti attuativi, a cura di Bernardo Giorgio Mattarella ed Elisa D’Alterio, Milano, Il sole 24 ore, 2017 Intermediate Exam Testi su cui verteranno le analisi di casi e i project work AA. VV. Le dimensioni della corruzione. Una prospettiva filosofica, a cura di E. Ceva, in "Notizie di Politeia", XXXIV, 129, 2018; AA. VV., Democrazia e corruzione, in "Ragion pratica", 3, 1994; AA. VV. Democrazia e corruzione, in "Ragion pratica", 5, 1996 G. Barbieri -- F. Giavazzi, Corruzione a norma di legge. La lobby delle grandi opere che affonda l'Italia, Rizzoli, Milano, 2014 D. Corbetta, Il caso Mose e il fallimento della normativa anticorruzione, in "Paginauno", 39, ottobre - novembre 2014 http://www.rivistapaginauno.it/mose-normativa-anticorruzione.php D. Della Porta - A. Vannucci, Mani impunite: vecchia e nuova corruzione in Italia, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2007 A. Franzoso, •Disobbediente! Essere onesti è la vera rivoluzione, De Agostini, Milano, 2018 A. Vannucci, Atlante della corruzione, EGA, Torino, 2012 G. Pellegrino, Etica pubblica. Una piccola introduzione, Roma, LUP, 2015 M. Walzer, “Azione politica. Il problema delle mani sporche”, in Id., Il filo della politica. Democrazia, critica sociale e governo del mondo, a cura di T. Casadei, Reggio Emilia, Diabasis, 2021 B. Williams, “Realismo e moralismo nella teoria politica”, in Id., In principio era l’azione. Realismo e moralismo nella teoria politica, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2007

Lectures, guided discussions, case studies, project works, and testimonials.

Learning and skills will be tested through the following methods: 1.On-going tests: during classes, especially during online lectures, students will be involved in guided discussions of the cases discussed. As they progress, students will be asked to apply the theoretical tools learned in self-study and lectures to the discussion of the cases. Students’ tests, taken through discussion forums on the eLearning platform, will be graded in thirtieths and will be worth 15% of the final grade; 2.Midterm exam on the philosophical part: in the fifth week of the course, students will be tested, on the eLearning platform, asking them to provide a case discussion and a project work in which they will have to propose policy lines and solutions. The cases will be proposed by the teacher and students will be able to choose from a shortlist of five cases. The time available to them will be two hours. Beginning in the first week, the instructor will outline guidelines on case discussion and project work specific to the teaching of public ethics. This test, graded in thirtieths, will be worth 35% of the final grade; Final exam on the administrative law part: during the exam calls, students will be submitted to a test, on the eLearning platform, consisting of 15 multiple choice questions (each correct answer is worth 1/30, each wrong answer 0/30) and a free question test (worth 15/30). This test will be worth 50% of the final grade. The test will be given in two hours. The free question test will be scored from 0 to 15 according to the following criteria based on the level of preparation shown in the answer: insufficient (0 points); sufficient (7 points); good (9 points); very good (12 points); excellent (15 points). Students who, due to medical reasons, will not be able to attend the course and take the tests referred to in paragraphs 1. and 2. above, must agree with the teacher a replacement test (a paper on an agreed topic, not less than 2000 characters including spaces, with a bibliography of no less than 10 articles and books). This test will be worth 50% of the final grade. In order to evaluate the level of preparation of the student, the following evaluation criteria will be taken into account jointly: knowledge and understanding of the main notions of the subject matter of the course, and ability to apply them to concrete cases; ability to communicate clearly and with appropriate language the skills acquired; ability to critically consult the data and results of the scientific literature. The rounding of the marks of the three tests referred to in points 1., 2. and 3. above, or of the substitute test and the test referred to in point 3. above, will be by default up to 5 after the decimal point, by excess after that figure.

Personal interest.

Yes