Graduated in Philosophy in 1985, Monica Riccio was awarded research fellowships at the Vico Studies Centre (CNR), Naples, in 1990, 1991 and 1995. She obtained a PHD in Philosophy in 1996 and was awarded postdoctoral research fellowship at the University “Federico II” of Naples. She has been teaching Italian and Latin, Philosophy and History at the high school from 1986, without interruption from 1996 to 2001.
Since 28 december 2001 she is researcher at the Institute for history of philosophical and scientific modern thinking (ISPF-CNR), Naples. From 2003 to 2007 she has been in charge of ISPF seminars for university students, department of philosophy, Naples. Since 2007 she has been teaching and giving workshops in Universities and PHD programmes. In 2014 she was in charge of the Observatory of Humanities at ISPF. Since 2005 she is sole editor of the book series “Studi Vichiani”.
Her research has followed two routes until now: 1) Psychology, Psychiatry and Anthropology in the 18 th and 19 th centuries: theoretical foundations; routes of sensations; anomalies and darkness of child development; science of passions and expression of the emotions; crowd psychology. 2) Political philosophy: multitude, crowd and people between anthropology and politics, from the 17th to the 21 th century; the idea of equality; tolerance between equals; reason and reasons of State.