Events

Starting from an analysis of Giacomo Leopardi’s "Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell’Asia" (1829–1830), Stefano Biancu shall attempt to highlight the dual significance of solitude in the modern age.

Laboratorio Health & Humanities

A study conducted by the Universities of Verona and Trieste indicates that immersive virtual reality in palliative care is well accepted, and associated with improvements in various symptoms and overall well-being, with a possible indirect effect on patients’ sense of loneliness.

May words represent a way of healing? Starting from a research realized on communication in medicine and healthcare, the speakers will dialogue with Stefania Cavagnoli to understand how relevant remain words and narratives in the different situations and contexts of care.

In a world of crisis and "dimming luminosity," this Trento workshop explores hope as an interdisciplinary practice. Moving beyond optimism, it uses philosophy and literature to transform modern anguish into a "semiotic device" for dignity and shared responsibility, seeking new languages for an uncertain future.

This paper proposes a semiotic reading of "hikikomori" as a figure of contemporary solitude, showing how their withdrawal reconfigures the conditions of presence to oneself and to others within technologically mediated environments. "Hikikomori" subjects construct their own semiotic niches in which social bonds are reorgan

Europe faces a demographic crisis that marginalizes youth, reducing their political weight and future stability. Between digitalization and job precariousness, new generations seek well-being and meaning. Fostering local participation and trust networks is key to developing their potential.

The author reflects on the success of History of Solitude (2021), a work treating the theme as a multifaceted historical object. Critics praised his ability to bridge eras—from Aristotle to social media—transcending disciplinary silos by blending scientific rigor with high-quality public outreach.

The seminar arguments that contemporary loneliness stems largely not from a lack of belonging, but rather from its reconfiguration in predominantly identificatory terms, and discusses the importance of reintroducing micro-social rituals capable of rebuilding reliable bonds in fragmented contexts.

Does mystical experience belong exclusively to the individual self? Or does it primarily involve a collective dimension? Starting from the reflections of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Simone Weil, I will show a third, impersonal way, which lies beyond the tension between solipsism and community.

Overseeing the historical moment, Vincenzo Sorrentino will talk about the role of compassion in politics. While acknowledging that the political sphere is a battlefield, it still matters to reflect on the value of compassion as a, not only ethical, means in the fight against unjust suffering.

Umberto Curi will give a talk based on his book Parlare con Dio: un’indagine fra filosofia e teologia (2024). How much room is there for reason in our ways of relating to God, and how much space is there for God in our incessant search for reasons?