The project occupies the intersection between medieval and Renaissance intellectual history and ongoing debate on emotions. By exploring textual material ranging from twelfth-century spiritual rehearsals to medieval university theology, Renaissance texts and a selection of vernacular sources, I will 1. Identify and categorize social emotions for further examination; 2. Analyse how the authors conceived and developed these emotions, and 3. Reconstruct the philosophical implications of the set of social emotions chosen by exploiting historical methods as well as modern philosophical and affect theory discussions of emotions. By examining social emotions such as shame, humility, pride, envy, admiration, desire for esteem, scorn, hope, compassion, and anger, my project will show how medieval and Renaissance authors understood the dynamic interplay between private and public spheres, reciprocity of emotions and the ways of conceiving one's place in the community.

2021

2026