The humanities have been an integral part of liberal arts education for centuries, and their importance has only grown in our rapidly changing world. In this collection of essays, faculty members of the Department of History and Humanities of John Cabot University offer a wide array of perspectives on the past, present, and future of the humanities in liberal arts education. This insightful and engaging collection presents nuanced and thought-provoking explorations into the history of the humanities and their impact on shaping our understanding of the world. The authors also tackle the challenges and opportunities facing humanities education today, as well as the innovations driving its future. Moreover, this collection offers insightful reflections on the intersection between the humanities and technology, including the impact of artificial intelligence and advanced language models. These reflections raise critical questions about the future of liberal arts education and the potential impact of technological advancements on the humanities. This collection offers a compelling appeal to anyone interested in understanding the evolving role of the humanities in liberal arts education. Whether you are a student seeking to gain a deeper appreciation of the humanities, an educator exploring new approaches to teaching, or simply curious about the future of liberal arts education, these essays provide valuable insights that will leave you with a richer understanding of this essential field.



Fabrizio Conti (PhD, Central European University, 2011) is a lecturer in History at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, as well as an Arts and Humanities Advisor at the American Academy in Rome. His teaching and research interests span the late antique, medieval, and renaissance periods, with an interdisciplinary approach to cultural and religious developments and special focus on the history of magic and witchcraft. His publications include the monograph Witchcraft, Superstition, and Observant Franciscan Preachers: Pastoral Approach and Intellectual Debate in Renaissance Milan (Brepols, 2015) and the edited volume Civilizations of the Supernatural: Witchcraft, Ritual, and Religious Experience in Late Antique, Medieval, and Renaissance Traditions (Trivent, 2020). Stefan Lorenz Sorgner is a philosophy professor at John Cabot University in Rome and is director and co-founder of the Beyond Humanism Network, Fellow at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET), Research Fellow at the Ewha Institute for the Humanities at Ewha Womans University in Seoul and Visiting Fellow at the Ethics Centre of the Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena. He is editor of more than 10 essay collections, and author of the following monographs: Metaphysics without Truth (Marquette University Press 2007), Menschenwurde nach Nietzsche (WBG 2010), Transhumanismus (Herder 2016), Schoner neuer Mensch (Nicolai, 2018), Ubermensch (Schwabe 2019). In addition, he is Editor-in-Chief and Founding Editor of the "Journal of Posthuman Studies" (a double-blind peer review journal, published by Penn State University Press since 2017). Furthermore, he is in great demand as a speaker in all parts of the world (World Humanities Forum, Global Solutions Taipei Workshop, Biennale Arte Venezia, TEDx) and a regular contact person of national and international journalists and media representatives (Die Zeit, Cicero, Der Standard; Die Presse am Sonntag). For more information, visit www.sorgner.de.



FOREWORD Franco Pavoncello Liberal Arts, Humanities, And The Future Of Education. AN INTRODUCTION Fabrizio Conti and Stefan Lorenz Sorgner CHAPTER 1. From Antiquity to Today: Reflections on paideia and humanitas Danica Puisic CHAPTER 2. Plato's Definition of Liberal Education and Its Contemporary Relevance David N. Levy CHAPTER 3. The Uses of the Past: Humanism, History, and Liberal Arts Education Fabrizio Conti CHAPTER 4. Leibniz's Teleology, or a Pre-History of Cybernetics Brunella Antomarini CHAPTER 5. Silvio Pellico and Antonio Gramsci: A Humanist Legacy? Dario Biocca CHAPTER 6. "Laudate Hominem:" Humanism, Humanity, and Piety According to Fabrizio De Andre. The Importance of La Buona Novella in the Work of the Genoese Singer-Songwriter Andrea Lanzone CHAPTER 7. What Are the Metahumanities? Stefan Lorenz Sorgner AFTERWORD. Conversation with ChatGPT on the Future of the Humanities Stefan Lorenz Sorgner Notes on Contributors