Dante, Humanitas: A New Subject of History A Discourse in Progress from the Vita nuova to the Paradiso

In the Monarchia Dante introduces the idea of a universal community (humanitas) that is naturally grounded and finds in the universal empire the political form suitable for ensuring collective well-being. This article briefly traces the development of this thought as it takes shape starting from the Vita Nuova, De vulgari, and Convivio, up to the Monarchia and Paradiso, and suggests that Dante’s later writings, in particular the Questio de aqua et terra, attest to the persistence of this reflection.