ITAL-4372 Dante and the Medieval Mind

Course Description

A journey of self-discovery, Dante’s Divine Comedy offers a remarkable panorama of the late Middle Ages through one man’s poetic vision of the afterlife. However, we continue to read and study the poem not only to learn about the thought and culture of medieval and early modern Europe but also because many of the philosophical and moral issues confronting Dante and his age are no less important to individuals and societies today. Personal and civic responsibilities, governmental accountability, church-state relations, economics and social justice, literary and artistic influences, benefits and limitations of interdisciplinarity–these are some of the themes that will frame our discussion of the Divine Comedy. Readings and lectures in English.