María Clara Luchetti-Bingemer

the role of love in intellectual life

Abstract

In this article, we reflect about the role that love plays in intellectual life through its forms: eros,
philia, and agape. We start from the premise that the task of the researcher and the academic, if it’s
not imbued with love, lacks true value. Love thus defines an epistemological attitude characterized
by passion, humility, empathy – expressed, among other things, by attempting to understand the
thought systems of our colleagues – gratitude, ecumenism, openness, and a celebratory attitude.
This epistemological attitude based on love concerns not only to the moral suitability of intellectuals but also to their academic competencies. To develop this hypothesis, we draw upon both academic citations and personal reflections, and above all, on the testimony of Professor María Clara Lucchetti Bingemer, not only as a tribute but also as a clear demonstration that what we uphold finds real fulfillment.