The Political Philosophy of Dante Alighieri

What it is

This is a doctoral dissertation written by John Joseph Rolbiecki and submitted to the Catholic University of America around 1921-1922. It examines Dante Alighieri's political philosophy, particularly his ideas about the state, and opens with a quotation from Dante's own Latin treatise De Vulgari Eloquentia.

Why it matters

This thesis shows that Dante was not only a poet but also a serious political thinker whose ideas about government and society were still being studied academically six hundred years after his death. It reflects how Dante's writings continued to influence philosophical and political thought long after medieval Italy.

Look closer

• Why might a student in the twentieth century choose to write an entire dissertation on a medieval poet's political ideas?
• What does the author's use of a Latin quotation from Dante suggest about his approach to the topic?
• What might be revealed about the state and government in Dante's own writings?