Genesis
I have a couple of heroes from reading, people whose ideas have resonated with me. Ivan Illich is one of them. But why?
- Whilst a person of deep religious conviction, as a high ranking priest he was so critical of the way his catholic church worked in the “developing world” that he was effectively excommunicated by the pope
- His works critiquing modern society raise concerns (eg about environment) address points that are even more relevant now than during the CIDOC era
- Tools for Conviviality is seminal
- His later works describing medieval thought and memory palaces are fascinating
In summary a great polymath who walked the talk to a reasonable degree - more than most.