Prof. Georgi Kapriev visits Zlatarski School
On 14 November 2013, following the established tradition, Zlatarski International School celebrated the birthday of its patron – Prof. Vasil Zlatarski. Our special guest Prof. Georgi Kapriev delivered a speech on the topic of “Bulgarian spirituality in times of crisis” in front of the school community.
Prof. Georgi Kapriev was born in 1960 in Burgas. In 1987, he graduated from Sofia University of “St Kliment Ohridski” after taking a major course in Philosophy. Since 1992, he has been a lecturer in Philosophy (as a professor since 2003). In the meantime he has specialized Philosophy in Cologne and Paris. He is a doctor of Philosophy and is the author of “Philosophical and historical concepts of the early West European Middle Ages” (Aurelius Augustinus) (1991) and “Anselm of Canterbury . The World Of His Ideas.”(2001) Professor Kapriev is the Head of the History and Philosophy department in “St. Kliment Ohridski” University in Sofia, as well as the Head of the Committee of Byzantium philosophy of the International Society for the Study of Medieval Philosophy (S.I.E.P.M.) which is based in Leuven, Belgium.
He is the author of a number of books which are in the field of the Medieval Christian philosophy, for example “History of metaphysics” (1991), “Homo Spirituals”(1991), “Byzantica minora” (2000), “The Byzantium philosophy” (2001). Since 2008 he is one of the editors of a Bulgarian magazine called “Christianity and culture”. He is also copublisher of “Archive of medieval philosphy and culture” and the series “Bibliotheca Cristiana”. Medieval philosophy is the main field of his interest.
Georgi Kapriev teaches Philosophy of Medieval and Rennaisance Western Europe, Byzantium philosophy, medieval metaphysics and many others. He has written 16 books, numerous articles and monographs.
In his lecture “Bulgarian spirituality in the time of crisis” he revealed the broad dimensions of concepts like “Bulgarian”, “spirit”, “sense”, “crisis”, “transition” in a way which only a professor can do. His profound knowledge of ancient Greek, Latin, German and Russian, has made him a prominent lecturer at University of Sofia (Bulgaria) and Koln (Germany). Professor Georgi Kapriev explained the essence of the crises today and displayed the connection between all the crises. With examples from Aristotle, Jaspers, Kamus, Habermas and other philosophers, artists and writers, the professor put into words how the spirit is that “over-spiritual” aspect of the soul from which it is possible to maintain the sense of every human life. But because time is connected with the place, and the place where we live is also his native country Bulgaria, Prof. Kapriev shared his personal story why he had decided to return to Bulgaria.
The students’ questions after the lecture created a live discussion as a result of his vivid and influential way of teaching , which is a top priority of our highschool, proud to have the name of Prof. Vasil Zlatarski.