Filosofia medievale. Storie, opere e concetti

Medieval philosophy is a mine in which the fundamental concepts and bodies of knowledge that have shaped Western civilization are preserved. Too often, however, the study of its works has been reduced to a series of empty and sterile technicalities that distance readers from any genuine intellectual curiosity. For this reason, the book retraces the fascinating development of medieval thought through the lives and works of both well-known and lesser-known authors, with particular attention to the so-called “heretics” (such as Abelard, the Averroists and the Ockhamists, and Pietro d’Abano), in order to show that the commonplace view of the Middle Ages as merely theological is, at the very least, reductive and limiting. Within this perspective, space is also devoted to medieval Japan and to two great innovators of the Buddhist tradition: Dōgen and Nichiren. Following the example of Onfray, the essay will open with compelling life stories, inseparably intertwined with the works that have preserved their memory through the centuries. Particularly engaging is the section “Medieval Philosophy and Cinema,” curated by Dr. Marco Palladino. The volume will be introduced by an interview with Professor Donato Verardi, Associate Professor of Medieval Philosophy.