Nuccio Ordine, widely recognized as one of Europe’s most influential philosophers, passed away this Saturday in a hospital in Cosenza, Italy. He had been hospitalized for several days after suffering a severe headache, and news of his death circulated rapidly on social networks as signs of mourning emerged. Local media in Calabria confirmed the philosopher’s brain death in the early afternoon. Ordine served as a professor of Italian literature at the University of Calabria in Rende, and his passing marks the loss of a thinker whose ideas resonated far beyond his hometown.
Ordine authored a number of celebrated works, including the recently released book People are not islands, published by Cliff. This publication follows a scholarly trajectory that began with the widely discussed 2013 piece The benefit of uselessness, a piece that helped close a cycle devoted to classical culture, humanistic knowledge, and the art of living well. The book has reached readers in numerous countries, signaling Ordine’s influence across diverse intellectual landscapes and languages. In Spain, the work drew significant attention this year, reflecting the enduring appeal of his humanistic vision.
In conversations with La Nueva España, via the Prensa Ibérica group, Ordine articulated a concern that resonates in contemporary discourse: a culture overly centered on money can dull the human spirit. He argued for the indispensable roles of music, literature, and philosophy as forces that nourish meaning and contribute to a more humane society. His broader claim underscores how cultural pursuits, even when they do not generate immediate economic margins, enrich public life and human dignity.
Ordine stood as a prominent figure in the global intellectual community. He chaired the International Center for Telesian, Brunian, and Campanellian Studies in Cosenza and maintained collaborative ties with the Italian Center for Renaissance Studies at Harvard University. Through these roles, he helped connect regional scholarship with international conversations, expanding access to ideas about culture, ethics, and the art of living well. His work continually invited readers to reconsider how cultural knowledge can inform everyday choices, public policy, and personal conduct, making a lasting impact on readers and scholars around the world.