Giuseppe Ferrari (7 March 1812 – 2 July 1876) was an Italian philosopher, historian and politician.

Biography

He was born at

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, studied law at

Pavia Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was a major polit ...

and graduated in 1831. A follower of Romagnosi and Giovan Battista Vico, his first works were an article in the '' Biblioteca Italiana'' ("Italian Library") entitled "Mente di Gian Domenico Romagnosi" (1835), and a complete edition of the works of Vico, prefaced by an appreciation (1865). Finding Italy uncongenial to his ideas, he went to France and, in 1839, produced in Paris his ''Vico ci l'Italie'', followed by ''La Nouvelle Religion de Campanella'' and ''La Théorie de l'erreur''. On account of these works he was made

Docteur ès lettres Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...

of the Sorbonne and professor of philosophy at Rochefort (1840). His views, however, provoked antagonism, and in 1842 he was appointed to the chair of philosophy at

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

. After fresh trouble with the clergy, he returned to Paris and published a defence of his theories in a work entitled ''Idées sur la politique de Platon et d'Aristote''. After a short connection with the college at

Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...

, he devoted himself from 1849 to 1858 exclusively to writing. The works of this period are ''Les Philosophes Salariés, Machiavel juge des revolutions de notre temps'' (1849), ''La Federazione repubblicana'' (1851), ''La Filosofia della rivoluzione'' (1851), ''L' Italia dopo il colpo di Stato'' (1852), ''Histoire des révolutions, ou Guelfes et Gibelins'' (1858). Giuseppe Ferrari philosopher grave Milan 2015

Giuseppe Ferrari philosopher grave Milan 2015

In 1859 he returned to Italy, where he opposed Cavour, and upheld federalism against the policy of a single Italian monarchy. In spite of this opposition, he held chairs of philosophy at

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, Milan and Rome in succession, and during several administrations represented the college of Gavirate in the chamber. He was a member of the council of education and was made senator on 15 May 1876; but he died just six weeks later. Amongst other works may be mentioned ''Histoire de la Raison d'État'', ''Corso di storia degli scrittori politici italiani'', and ''La China e l'Europa''. In the last mentioned work, Ferrari anticipated the emergence of

superpower Superpower describes a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position characterized by the ability to Sphere of influence, exert influence and Power projection, project power on a global scale. This is done through the comb ...

s, arguing that their emergence would destroy European dominance in favor of Russia, America, and, eventually, China. A skeptic in philosophy and a revolutionist in politics, rejoicing in controversy of all kinds, he was admired as a man, as an orator, and as a writer.

Works

*1835: ''La mente di G. D. Romagnosi'', *1837: ''La mente di Vico'', *1839: ''Vico et l'Italie'', *1843: ''Essai sur le principe et les limites de la philosophie de l'histoire'', *1844: ''La philosophie catholique en Italie'', *1844–1845: ''La révolution et les révolutionnaires en Italie'', *1845: ''Des idées et de l'école de Fourier depuis 1830'', *1845: ''La révolution et les réformes en Italie'', *1849: ''Machiavel juge des révolutions de notre temps'', *1849: ''Les philosophes salariés'', *1851: ''La Federazione repubblicana'', *1851: ''Filosofia della rivoluzione'', *1852: ''L'Italia dopo il colpo di Stato del 2 dicembre 1851'', *1854: ''La mente di Giambattista Vico'', *1856–1858: ''Histoire des révolutions d'Italie'', *1860: ''Histoire de la raison d'État'', *1860: ''L'annessione delle Due Sicilie'', *1862: ''Corso sugli scrittori politici italiani'', *1865: ''Il governo a Firenze'', *1867: ''La Chine et l'Europe'', *1868: ''La mente di Pietro Giannone'', *1872: ''Storia delle Rivoluzioni d’Italia'', *1874: ''Teoria dei periodi politici'', *1875: ''Proudhon'', *1929: ''Corso sugli scrittori politici italiani'', prefazione di A. O. Olivetti, *1957: ''Opere di Giandomenico Romagnosi, Carlo Cattaneo e Giuseppe Ferrari'', a cura di E. Sestan, *1961: ''Lettere di Ferrari a Proudhon (1854–1861)'' a cura di F. Della Peruta, *1973: ''Scritti politici'', a cura di S. Rota Ghibaudi, *1988: ''I filosofi salariati'', a cura di L. La Puma, *2006: ''Scritti di filosofia politica'', a cura di M. Martirano, *2009: ''Il genio di Vico'', *2009: ''Sulle opinioni religiose di Campanella''

Bibliography

*1982: Agnelli, A., "Giuseppe Ferrari e la filosofia della rivoluzione", in: ''Per conoscere Romagnosi'', a cura di R. Ghiringhelli e F. Invernici, *1914: Ferrari, A., ''Giuseppe Ferrari, Saggio critico'', *1994: Frigerio, F., "Giuseppe Ferrari", in: ''Dictionnaire international du Fédéralisme'', Brussels, *1991: Ghiringhelli, R., ''Giuseppe Ferrari et le fédéralisme'', *2001: Martirano, M., ''Giuseppe Ferrari editore e interprete di Vico'', *1925: Monti, A. ''Giuseppe Ferrari e la politica interna della Destra'', *1980: Panizza, G. ''L'illuminismo critico di Giuseppe Ferrari'', *1969: Rota Ghibaudi, S., ''Giuseppe Ferrari, l'evoluzione del suo pensiero (1838–1860)'', *1992: Rota Ghibaudi, S. e Ghiringhelli, T. cura di ''Giuseppe Ferrari e il nuovo stato italiano'', *1996: Schiattone, M., ''Alle origini del federalismo italiano, Giuseppe Ferrari''

References

External links

* . {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferrari, Giuseppe 1812 births 1876 deaths University of Pavia alumni University of Paris alumni Academic staff of the University of Strasbourg 19th-century Italian philosophers 19th-century Italian historians Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Academic staff of the University of Milan Italian expatriates in France