Igor Škamperle
Encyclopedia
Igor Škamperle is a Slovenia
n sociologist, cultural theorist, novelist, essayist, mountaineer
and translator.
He was born in a Slovene-speaking family in Trieste
, Italy
. He studied comparative literature
and cultural sociology at the University of Ljubljana
, where he graduated in 1990. He continued his studies at the Universities of Bologna
and Perugia
, where he studied cultural and social changes in the Renaissance
period and the cosmologic thought of Giordano Bruno
. Since 1999, he works as a professor of sociology at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana.
His field of interest is mostly the Renaissance culture and the theory of symbolic forms. In his writings and translations, Škamperle introduced the thought of the Italian historical school (with Eugenio Garin
and Federico Chabod
as its main representatives) into the Slovene historiography
. He wrote treatises about Renaissance thinkers such as Pico della Mirandola and Nicholas of Cusa
. He was one of the first scholars of hermetism in Slovenia, as well as one of the first Slovene interpretors of Carl Gustav Jung. Škamperle's most important work is Magična renesansa ("The Magical Renaissance"), in which he analyzed the magical-mythological current in the European Renaissance and reflected on the reasons of its disappearance with the emergence of Classicism
. He studied and wrote about the political thought of Machiavelli, the historical epistemology of Alexandre Koyré
and various religious manifestations such as shamanism
. He also published important studies on Eleazar M. Meletinskii and Georges Dumézil
.
In his young years, Škamperle was a mountaneer. He wrote several books on mountaineering which has an important influence in the Slovene mountaneer subculture
. His writing insert themselves in a long tradition of Slovene mountaineering essayistics, that goes from Julius Kugy
to Tone Svetina and Dušan Jelinčič
.
He also collaborated in productions for the Slovenian Television Broadcast
. The two most important were the film Epifanija zemlje in duha ("Epiphany
of Earth and Spirit"), dedicated to the 80 years of the author Alojz Rebula
, and a documentary on the Slovene philosopher Klement Jug
.
He regularly publishes essays reflecting on contemporary society in the journals Sodobnost
and Nova revija
.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n sociologist, cultural theorist, novelist, essayist, mountaineer
Mountaineer
-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...
and translator.
He was born in a Slovene-speaking family in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He studied comparative literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
and cultural sociology at the University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, where he graduated in 1990. He continued his studies at the Universities of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
and Perugia
University of Perugia
University of Perugia is a public-owned university based in Perugia, Italy. It was founded in 1308, as attested by the Bull issued by Pope Clement V certifying the birth of the Studium Generale....
, where he studied cultural and social changes in the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
period and the cosmologic thought of Giordano Bruno
Giordano Bruno
Giordano Bruno , born Filippo Bruno, was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer. His cosmological theories went beyond the Copernican model in proposing that the Sun was essentially a star, and moreover, that the universe contained an infinite number of inhabited...
. Since 1999, he works as a professor of sociology at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana.
His field of interest is mostly the Renaissance culture and the theory of symbolic forms. In his writings and translations, Škamperle introduced the thought of the Italian historical school (with Eugenio Garin
Eugenio Garin
Eugenio Garin was an Italian philosopher and Renaissance historian. He was recognised as an authority on the cultural history of the Renaissance...
and Federico Chabod
Federico Chabod
Federico Chabod was an Italian historian and politician.Born at Aosta, he studied at the University of Turin under Pietro Egidi and Gaetano Salvemini, writing his thesis on Machiavelli. His thesis was published with the title of "Introduzione al 'Principe'" in 1924...
as its main representatives) into the Slovene historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
. He wrote treatises about Renaissance thinkers such as Pico della Mirandola and Nicholas of Cusa
Nicholas of Cusa
Nicholas of Kues , also referred to as Nicolaus Cusanus and Nicholas of Cusa, was a cardinal of the Catholic Church from Germany , a philosopher, theologian, jurist, mathematician, and an astronomer. He is widely considered one of the great geniuses and polymaths of the 15th century...
. He was one of the first scholars of hermetism in Slovenia, as well as one of the first Slovene interpretors of Carl Gustav Jung. Škamperle's most important work is Magična renesansa ("The Magical Renaissance"), in which he analyzed the magical-mythological current in the European Renaissance and reflected on the reasons of its disappearance with the emergence of Classicism
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
. He studied and wrote about the political thought of Machiavelli, the historical epistemology of Alexandre Koyré
Alexandre Koyré
Alexandre Koyré , sometimes anglicised as Alexander Koiré, was a French philosopher of Russian origin who wrote on the history and philosophy of science.-Life:...
and various religious manifestations such as shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
. He also published important studies on Eleazar M. Meletinskii and Georges Dumézil
Georges Dumézil
Georges Dumézil was a French comparative philologist best known for his analysis of sovereignty and power in Proto-Indo-European religion and society...
.
In his young years, Škamperle was a mountaneer. He wrote several books on mountaineering which has an important influence in the Slovene mountaneer subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
. His writing insert themselves in a long tradition of Slovene mountaineering essayistics, that goes from Julius Kugy
Julius Kugy
Julius Kugy was an Austrian - Italian mountaineer and writer of Slovene origin. He wrote mostly in German. He is renowned for his travelogues from the Julian Alps, in which he reflected on the relationship between man, nature, and culture...
to Tone Svetina and Dušan Jelinčič
Dušan Jelinčič
Dušan Jelinčič is an Slovene writer, essayist and mountaineer from Trieste, Italy.He was born in an influential Slovene intellectual family in Trieste; his father, Zorko Jelinčič, was among the co-founders of the militant anti-fascist organization TIGR, and a close personal friend of prominent...
.
He also collaborated in productions for the Slovenian Television Broadcast
Radiotelevizija Slovenija
Radiotelevizija Slovenija – usually abbreviated to RTV Slovenija – is Slovenia's national public broadcasting organization. Based in the country's capital, Ljubljana, it has regional broadcasting centres in Koper and Maribor and correspondents around Slovenia, Europe and the world...
. The two most important were the film Epifanija zemlje in duha ("Epiphany
Epiphany (feeling)
An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something...
of Earth and Spirit"), dedicated to the 80 years of the author Alojz Rebula
Alojz Rebula
Alojz Rebula is a Slovene writer, playwright, essayist and translator, who lives and works in the Province of Trieste, Italy. He is a member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts.-Life:...
, and a documentary on the Slovene philosopher Klement Jug
Klement Jug
Klement Jug was a Slovene philosopher, essayist and mountaineer who died while climbing Mount Triglav. Although he did not publish many works during his lifetime, he became one of the most influential thinkers of the younger generations of Slovenian intellectuals in the interwar period.- Life :Jug...
.
He regularly publishes essays reflecting on contemporary society in the journals Sodobnost
Sodobnost
Sodobnost is a Slovenian literary and cultural magazine, established in 1933. It is considered the oldest of currently existing literary magazines in Slovenia. Although Sodobnost has traditionally been a magazine focused on cultural and literary issues, it nowadays covers a wide range of current...
and Nova revija
Nova revija
Nova revija is a Slovenian publishing house and cultural institute that developed from the literary journal with the same name.- The magazine :...
.
Major works
- Sneg na zlati veji ("The Snow on the Golden Branch", novel, 1992)
- Hermetizem ("Hermetism", monograph, 1996)
- Kraljeva hči ("The King's Daughter", novel, 1997)
- Magična renesansa ("The Magical Renaissance, 1999)
- Šamanizem ("Shamanism", monograph, 2007)