Stelios Ramfos, a prominent philosopher, writer and public intellectual whose work examined the country’s cultural identity, Orthodox tradition and the psychological foundations of modern Greek society, has died. He was 87.
Born in Athens in 1939, Ramfos was one of the most recognizable and frequently debated intellectual figures in contemporary Greece. For decades, he wrote books and essays, taught philosophy and took part in the country’s political and social debates through lectures, newspaper and magazine articles, and frequent television and radio interviews.
His intellectual path was marked by significant shifts in his political and philosophical outlook. He initially studied law at the University of Athens and became involved with the Greek left while still a student. In the early 1960s, however, he broke with the left and turned increasingly toward philosophy and the study of Greek and Orthodox intellectual traditions.
In 1965, before completing his law studies, Ramfos went to Paris to study philosophy at the Université de Vincennes, later known as Université Paris 8. He taught philosophy there from 1969 to 1974 before returning to Greece after the fall of the military dictatorship. He then devoted himself to writing, teaching and public intellectual life.
