25 August 2025
Intellectuals are catalysts of thought and action: with their tenacious reflections, they challenge the present and pave the way for the future. Here are five figures who changed the course of history.
Voltaire (1694–1778) – The Smile of Tolerance
An exponent of the Enlightenment, Voltaire used irony to attack the injustices of the Ancien Régime. Anticlerical and defender of freedom of speech – often remembered for the motto, albeit apocryphal, “I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” – he fought against capital punishment and promoted secularism. He influenced later revolutions and thinkers such as Beccaria and Alembert
Jean‑Paul Sartre (1905 – 1980) – Existential commitment
Philosopher, writer and activist, Sartre redefined the role of the intellectual as “committed”: founder of the magazine Les Temps Modernes, protagonist of the Resistance and opponent of imperialism – particularly during the Algerian war – he refused the Nobel Prize in Literature to preserve his freedom.
Umberto Eco (1932 ndash; 2016) ndash; The pop semiologist
From medieval aesthetics to the semiotics of pop culture, Eco combined academic rigor and high-level popularization. With global-bestselling novels such as The Name of the Rose (over 50 million copies sold) and essays such as Apocalittici e integrati, he made critical thinking accessible and fascinating
John von Neumann (1903 ndash; 1957) ndash; The multifaceted genius
Mathematical physicist and father of modern computer science, von Neumann contributed to fields ranging from computer architecture to game theory to the Manhattan Project. His vision has shaped contemporary science, technology, and economics
Bruno Latour (1947–2022) – The sociologist of science
A pioneer of the sociology of science, Latour challenged the traditional view of research as pure objective truth. He introduced the “actor” network theory; and supported the importance of the relationship between science, technology, and society: a key thought in the era of climate change
Because these stories also speak to us
1. Critical courage: all challenged entrenched powers, breaking cultural and political conventions.
2. Concrete commitment: from legal reformism to political and social commitment, they transformed ideas into actions.
3. Multidisciplinarity: philosophy, literature, science, technology: every field benefited from their innovative vision.
