Virus sapiens e homo stultus

‘Virus sapiens and homo stultus’ appeared in English in ‘Voyages: Journal of Contemporary Humanism’, 10, Summer 2020, and is here translated into Italian. The author reflects on the behavioural patterns of viruses and humans, pointing out that the latter have a predatory trait towards plants and the animal genus at large, while the virus limits itself to multiplication and self-preservation without attacking its own species. By evoking some authors from the past and dialoguing with contemporary critical literature, she questions whether and to what extent intelligence can save mankind without greater attention to its creativity, self-criticism and more supportive behavioural models.

Gabriela Dragnea Horvath is lecturer at New York University and general editor of the online journal ‘Voyages-Journal of Contemporary Humanism’. A scholar of English literature and neo-Platonic philosophy, she has published essays on Shakespeare, Alessandro Citolini and Walter Whiter, as well as on magic in Renaissance philosophy and literature. Recent publications include ‘Theatre, Magic and Philosophy: William Shakespeare, John Dee and the Italian Legacy’ (Routledge 2017). She holds the Teaching Excellence Award of the Global Liberal Studies Program of New York University.

[online 29.10.2020].