September 16

Pietro Pomponazzi (1462–1525) was a leading Italian thinker of the Renaissance who studied at the University of Padua. His seminal work on Aristotle challenged prevailing scholastic interpretations, and his treatise 'On the Immortality of the Soul' sparked debates with church authorities. Despite accusations of heresy, he served as court philosopher and left a lasting impact on Renaissance humanism.

Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, was an English statesman, political philosopher, and literary figure of the early 18th century. He served as Secretary of State for the Southern Department under Queen Anne and played a key role in Tory politics. Bolingbroke authored influential political treatises, including "The Idea of a Patriot King" and "Letters on the Study and Use of History," advocating constitutional monarchy and civic virtue. After falling from favor, he went into exile in France, where he supported the Jacobite cause. He returned to England under King George II and continued to write on history and politics. His blend of political activism and philosophical thought made him a notable figure in early Enlightenment debates on governance and society.

Clive Bell was born in 1881 in London and became a central figure in the Bloomsbury Group of artists and intellectuals. He introduced the concept of “Significant Form” in his seminal work Art (1914), arguing that emotional responses to art arise from pure aesthetic form rather than subject matter. Bell cultivated friendships with influential artists like Roger Fry and Virginia Woolf, shaping early modernist criticism in Britain. He married painter Vanessa Stephen, sister of Virginia Woolf, further intertwining his life with the Bloomsbury circle. Bell’s writings championed contemporary artists and challenged Victorian artistic conventions. He lectured widely and influenced the direction of art appreciation in the 20th century. Despite later criticism, his ideas laid groundwork for formalist approaches in art history. Clive Bell passed away in 1964, remembered for his pioneering art criticism.

Josef Schächter was born in Vienna in 1901 and became an active member of the Vienna Circle, engaging with leading philosophers of the time. Ordained as a rabbi, he sought to reconcile scientific philosophy with Jewish theology, producing writings that explored ethics, faith, and rational inquiry. He lectured extensively on philosophy of religion and Jewish thought, contributing articles to philosophical journals and Jewish periodicals. His interdisciplinary work bridged logical positivism and religious scholarship, influencing postwar debates in both fields. Schächter remained a respected voice in Jewish intellectual circles and academia until his death in 1994.