Leaving the Beaten Path
Listen in to a conversation with Dr. Andrea Robiglio, professor of History of Philosophy at KU Leuven, about the wide world of pre-modern philosophy and the "vain struggle to define something."
Experience the Episode
Presented by Medieval Institute
Dr. Andrea Robiglio explores the “wide world of pre-modern philosophy,” reframing the field not as a collection of static definitions, but as a “vain struggle to define something.” The conversation delves into the surprisingly “postmodern” tendencies of Dante and Aquinas, highlighting how their interdisciplinary, non-hierarchical approach to secular and religious texts mirrors today’s complex intellectual landscape.
Meeting in the Middle Ages is hosted by Will Beattie and Ben Pykare, both Ph.D. candidates at Notre Dame’s Medieval Institute. The podcast is sponsored by the Medieval Institute of the University of Notre Dame and supported by the Medieval Academy of America’s Graduate Student Committee through their Community Building Award.
MoreMeet the Speaker: Dr. Andrea Robiglio
Dr. Andrea Aldo Robiglio is professor of the history of medieval and renaissance philosophy at KU Leuven. He obtained his MA (1996) and PhD (2001), under the supervision of A. Bausola and A. Ghisalberti, from the Catholic University “Sacro Cuore” in Milan. Before moving to Leuven, he worked at the Universities of Nijmegen, Fribourg CH, Freiburg im Breisgau, Notre Dame, Groningen, and at the Centre de Recherches Historiques of the CNRS (Paris). Robiglio’s area of specialization concerns the history of philosophy with a focus on philosophical anthropology, ethics and politics, extending from the 12th to the 17th century. Another area of scholarly activity concerns the history of philosophical historiography (esp. in the 20th century) and the relation between philosophy and literature.
Introduction to Romance Philosophy: On the Benefit to Medieval Studies
The Medieval Institute is pleased to present the final installment, rescheduled from fall 2021, of its 75th Anniversary Alumni Lecture Series with Andrea Robiglio, SIEPM Fellow at the Institute from 2006–7.
The term “romance philosophy” is, though already occasionally employed, arguably new as a category in the studies of medieval thought and intellectual history. Elaborating on some established polar oppositions attested in the scholarly literature (such as clerical vs. lay, Latin vs. vernacular, and academic vs. popular), Andrea shall in his lecture try to illustrate a partially-new approach by building upon four relevant case studies: Petrus Alfonsi, Thomas Aquinas, Marguerite Porete, and Dante Alighieri.