The Italian philosopher and professor Nuccio Ordine, born in Calabria in 1958, is recognized as a leading voice on classical art and literature. He spoke to the newspaper after learning about receiving the 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities. He expressed humility, calling the honor far too large for one person and dedicating it to teachers worldwide who quietly educate and change the lives of students.
He also commented on the risks posed by Artificial Intelligence, neoliberalism, and populism, noting his deep admiration and affection for Emilio Lledó, a renowned Spanish master. He recalled discovering Plato through courses in Naples at a young age and stressed the world’s need for teachers who bring passion and culture to the classroom.
Ordine earned the award ten years after the publication of The Utility of the Useless, a compact manifesto defending the humanities that sold well in Spain and gained international popularity. The work sold around eighty thousand copies and remains a landmark in philosophical writing.
You have argued for a return to knowledge in philosophy, art, music, and literature for the sake of the useless, yet there is a troubling decline in the humanities. Is society moving in the wrong direction? What factors drive this trend?
– The decline is global, driven in large part by neoliberalism, which equates human dignity with wealth in the bank. That is a false premise. In society, things that do not generate money also nourish the soul. Reading a book, admiring a painting, or listening to a concert feeds inner life and helps people form values that counter the current. Education today asks teachers to be like trout swimming upstream, challenging the prevailing current. The belief that dignity rests on money is misguided. True human dignity is grounded in justice, solidarity, and struggle. These values have the power to reduce stark global inequalities. The award is dedicated to teachers who quietly shaped lives around the world. The memory of a famous Nobel moment offers a model of gratitude to mentors who guided others toward achievement.
– In the ideal small library, literature is the key to understanding life. Yet reading comprehension is slipping among young people. How should literature be understood today?
– It is a demanding task. A student’s attention span is brief. After decades in the classroom, a crucial lesson emerges: when students encounter a page from a classic, they become engaged. Social media often fosters the illusion of many friends, yet real connection requires slow, thoughtful reading. A page from Montaigne or The Little Prince can illuminate the nature of friendship and society. Teachers today face time constraints and bureaucratic demands that pull them away from thoughtful preparation, a distraction that harms the learning process. This is a serious problem.
– In Barcelona, there is talk of adding optional training so that doctors learn to treat patients more humanely. What does that reveal about how society has evolved?
– It reveals a neoliberal view where patients and students are treated as customers, which is wrong. The pandemic showed that the core of human dignity rests in the right to health and the right to information. Over the decades, neoliberal policies have weakened hospitals and public schools. Defending them is essential.
– How might Artificial Intelligence and tools like ChatGPT affect literature and the humanities? Could they threaten them?
– The creators of artificial intelligence themselves have warned of risks. Intelligence is more than rapid computation and data collection; it encompasses creativity. Can a machine perform a concert by Mozart or paint like Velázquez? That remains uncertain. It is a difficult question to answer, and the future will reveal more layers of it.
– Do the populisms seen in Italy, such as the far right under Meloni, represent the best response to current economic and climate crises?
– No. Those who view immigrants as enemies do not deserve power. Walls in Europe and the United States isolate societies and hinder understanding. Borges wrote about a wall that only blocks knowledge and fosters a prison mentality. A newer work, People Are Not Islands, argues for a classical heritage that gives life meaning through acts of service to others, countering egoism.
– Are we living more intensely at the crossroads of emotion, knowledge, and reason, at the expense of reason itself?
– There is a growing disdain for knowledge, with dignity too often tied to wealth. The abundance of information online is a double-edged sword: it can enlighten or mislead. Venture into the web with a critical mind, and be wary of unfounded claims. Knowledge empowers students to discern quality content and to choose meaningful ideas over noise.
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