Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Contemporary Thought
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Introduction
The course presents the study of man as a person with the aim of inviting students to reflect on their own condition and existential meaning, guided by the great authors in the history of thought. In this way, it is hoped that students will be able to understand the meaning of personal dignity and begin a path of integration into their own lives and their own science.
Pre-course requirements
No.
Objectives
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - Explain the foundations of classical and contemporary culture in order to interpret current communication trends and phenomena.
- CN04 - Critically analyse political, social and historical events, as well as national and international institutions.
- CN07 - Identify emerging trends in digital communication, social media and interactive environments for planning advertising and public relations activities in digital and multi-platform contexts.
- CP03 - Apply ethical and professional standards in advertising and public relations practice, respecting the fundamental right to equality between women and men, promoting human rights, a culture of peace and democratic values, including the use of inclusive, non-discriminatory and stereotype-free language.
- CP11 - Apply the principal methodologies of scientific research to the field of advertising and public relations.
- HB01 - Analyse relevant data obtained from multiple sources using a range of research and documentation methods.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students will be able to:
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To develop an understanding of the complexity of contemporary societies, recognising shared cultural expressions in a globalised world, cultural differences and influences between different social groups.
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To keep up to date with innovation and new technologies in order to identify trends.
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To understand human beings through philosophical thought and the different ways in which people communicate and organise society based on moral principles.
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To explore the psychological processes (cognitive and sociological) that motivate people, applying this knowledge to professional practice in advertising and public relations.
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To identify artistic avant-garde movements, the historical evolution of judgements of taste and their influence on human communication.
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To understand the legal and institutional framework within which they will work professionally, including regulations on intellectual property and consumer rights.
Syllabus
1. The prelude: Ancien Régime and Enlightenment.
2. The foundations: Classical political liberalism.
3. The deployment of freedom: Economic and social liberalism.
4. Romantic passion: Keys to the romantic movement.
5. The meaning and transformation of history: From Hegel to Marx.
6. The conquest of equality: Social democracy and Eurocommunism.
7. The Triumph of Experimental Science: Evolution of Science and Positivism.
8. The philosophers of suspicion: Nietzsche, Freud and the transmutation of values.
9. The crisis of Modernity: War, artistic avant-garde and totalitarian temptation.
10. The existentialist turn: anguish and meaning of human life.
11. The personalist proposal: the notion of the person as a way out of contemporary labyrinths.
12. Contemporary religious thought: twentieth-century Catholic theology and the Second Vatican Council.
13. The City and Utopia: Urbanism, Architecture and Political-Social Models.
14. The feminine revolution: the multiple faces of feminism.
15. Social criticism and postmodern earthquake: the Frankfurt School, the end of grand narratives, decolonization and the woke movement.
16. The New Conservatism: Conservative Thought in the Twentieth Century.
17. The ecological perspective: The currents of environmentalism.
18. Thinking about the digital revolution: from Bauman to Byung-Chul Han.
19. A new humanity?: The dilemmas of transhumanism.
20. The paradigm of care: a social and political alternative.
Bibliography and resources
- Acemoglu, D., y Robinson, J. A. Por qué fracasan los países: Los orígenes del poder, la prosperidad y la pobreza. Booket, Madrid, 2014.
- Bauman, Z. (2003). Modernidad líquida. Fondo de Cultura Económica.
- Bostrom, N. (2005). “A history of transhumanist thought”. Journal of Evolution and Technology, 14(1), 1–25.
- Cal Newport: Céntrate (Deep Work). Las cuatro reglas para el éxito en la era de la distracción. Ediciones Península, 2022.
- Papa Francisco: Laudato Si. Sobre el cuidado de la casa común. Editorial San Pablo, 2015.
- Frankl, V. El hombre en busca de sentido. Herder, Barcelona, 2021.
- Han, B.-C. (2014). En el enjambre. Herder.
- Kawasaki, G. El arte de cautivar. Cómo se cambian los corazones, las mentes y las acciones. Gestión 2000, Barcelona, 2011.
- Krznaric, R. El buen antepasado: Cómo pensar a largo plazo en un mundo cortoplacista. Capitán Swing, 2022.
- Luri, G. La imaginación conservadora. Una defensa apasionada de las ideas que han hecho del mundo un lugar mejor. Editorial Arial, Barcelona, 2019.
- Martí García, M. Á. La alegría interior. Aproximación a una estética existencial. Ediciones Internacionales Universitarias, Madrid, 2015.
- Marx, K., & Engels, F. (2011). Manifiesto comunista (P. Ribas, Trad.). Alianza Editorial.
- Miller, D. Cómo construir una story-brand. Clarifica tu mensaje para que la gente escuche. Empresa Activa, Madrid, 2018.
- Mortari, L. Cuidarse. Una ética de la delicadeza. Ediciones Encuentro, 2022.
- Morozov, E. (2015). La locura del solucionismo tecnológico. Katz Editores.
- Rallo, J. R. Liberalismo. Los diez principios básicos del orden político liberal. Planeta, Barcelona, 2019.
- Varoufakis, Y. Economía sin corbata. Conversaciones con mi hija. Destino, Barcelona, 2015.