Much of what Nuccio Ordine expresses comes from a life built on the pursuit of understanding and a deep habit of reading. He has formed his worldview through the study of both classical and contemporary authors, and he has shared this lifelong commitment with students, colleagues, and fellow readers. His classroom is life itself—streets, newspapers, and, most importantly, students who become living books. His students mirror the pages he reveres; their questions mirror his own curiosity and their uncertainties fuel his own ongoing inquiry. He has received a wide array of recognitions, culminating in the Princess of Asturias Award, a career accolade that marks him as a leading figure in his field. The award sits among notable names found within Nuccio Ordine’s scholarly archive and learning journey.
Philosopher Nuccio Ordine, great supporter of classical culture, Princess of Asturias Communication and Humanities Award
From the outset, his vocation has been to learn and to share what learning reveals. His zeal for knowledge travels with him, taking him from one university to another, into libraries, to conversations with connoisseurs, and across the globe. Whenever he remarks that he is in one place to learn, he is already moved by where he has come from and where he will go next. He moves like an athlete and an educator, always along routes that feed his soul with sights, sounds, and voices worth remembering. He travels through geographies that wake his mind, so he can articulate what he observed, what he heard, and what his teachers and friends wrote, spanning old and modern thought. One afternoon after a period of disruption, a renowned philosopher engaged in a discussion about pedagogy, expanding his reflections alongside other great minds, exactly as he has done when grappling with the wisdom of writers who shaped his early intellectual world.
This chronicler, best known for the idea of the useful for the useless, has taken the core lessons he learned from the reserve of wisdom and turned them into a poetic, almost scientific, study of culture. His work exudes enthusiasm and careful craftsmanship, contributing a contemporary manifesto that resonates with students and educators alike. The result is a lasting impact on classrooms and debates, a modern contribution to the ongoing conversation about the value of the humanities in a rapid, change-driven era.
Ordine has long stood as a figure who demonstrates that the classics remain foundational to modern pedagogy. He shows that what some may consider obsolete can still guide current teaching and learning. His argument—that classic works remain vibrant and essential—has earned widespread acceptance among peers who recognize how his advocacy renews the classroom and the public sphere. He has repeatedly celebrated those who engage with the ancient texts, insisting that wisdom survives neglect and that what appears useless can be a path to true understanding. In his view, the classic is not a relic but a living, contemporary force, a stance he has tirelessly championed throughout his career.
His exchanges with fellow scholars, such as Emilio Lledó and George Steiner, further illuminate his lifelong devotion to learning. The discourse with Umberto Eco, among others, underscores a shared belief in education as a humane practice—one that preserves the vitality of curiosity in students and teachers alike. Ordine remains committed to nurturing that spirit, encouraging readers to know and to tell what they have learned, in turn fueling the collective pursuit of knowledge.
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