Antonio Labriola Italian socialist philosopher, founder of Italian Marxism. Date of Birth: 02.07.1843 Country: Italy

1. Antonio Labriola: Italian Philosopher and Socialist
2. Transition to Marxism
3. Political Strategy and Social-Democracy
4. Engagement with Socialist Movement
5. Later Years and Legacy

Antonio Labriola: Italian Philosopher and Socialist

Antonio Labriola was an Italian philosopher and socialist, known as the founder of Italian Marxism. He was born in Cassino in 1843 and became interested in Hegelian philosophy during his studies at the University of Naples.

Transition to Marxism

Labriola's first published work was a critique of the Greek philosophy professor Celler, which was influenced by Hegelianism. However, he soon moved away from orthodox Hegelianism and embraced Marxism. Between 1870 and 1874, Labriola wrote articles for political journals such as "Gazzetta di Napoli," "Il Piccolo," "L'Unità Nazionale," and "Monitore di Bologna." These articles revealed Labriola's desire to understand the real needs of the masses, especially in the field of education. His search led him to recognize the importance of intellectual and moral reform, a theme that reappeared in his later works. In 1874, Labriola became a professor of ethics and pedagogy at the University of Rome, where he lectured on philosophy, the philosophy of history, and pedagogy.

Political Strategy and Social-Democracy

Labriola transformed his ideas by separating Hegelian historicism from idealism, largely influenced by the psychology of ethics of J.F. Herbart. He saw the state, religion, and education as ways to implement a progressive political strategy. By the late 1880s, Labriola started leaning towards the left, believing that a full democratic revolution could only be achieved by defending the working masses, particularly the urban working class. He realized that the state was increasingly controlled by a decadent and corrupt bourgeoisie. He developed the idea that the true driving force of history was the political movement of the masses. From 1887 to 1890, he anticipated a process of democratic transformation of the state and civil society, inspired by the Paris Commune. However, he came to the realization that "radical Jacobinism," excluding broad sections of the population, only favored the radical elite. Labriola formulated a strategy for building the foundation of social democracy, which focused more on local self-government rather than popular self-government. This idea was reflected in his book "Problems of the Philosophy of History and Socialism" (1889).

Engagement with Socialist Movement

In 1890, Labriola turned his attention to studying the works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. He quickly recognized that the most constructive and revolutionary force was the socialist movement of the working class. He engaged in intensive correspondence with European socialist leaders such as Engels, Kautsky, Bernstein, and Georges Sorel. Labriola viewed German social democracy as a model applicable to Italy, despite Italy being, in his opinion, a backward country. He played a leading role in organizing the May 1891 demonstrations in Rome. His work, "Notes on Historical Materialism," established Labriola as one of the most significant European Marxist theorists of his time. Labriola aligned himself with Turati, who advocated for the advancement of left proletarian socialism. However, there was a significant difference between them: Labriola desired a small, homogeneous, militant Marxist labor party, while Turati favored a broad party open to diverse elements, pragmatic and reformist.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1892, Turati responded to Labriola's wishes by removing anarchist elements from the party but the party's program remained eclectic. Nevertheless, Labriola managed to convince Turati to involve the party in supporting the Sicilian movimento dei Fasci. However, due to theoretical ambiguities (or "social-positivist," as Labriola would say), three conflicting tendencies emerged within the party. Labriola chose to focus on theoretical work as a result. In the last years of his life, he actively participated in discussions on Marx's legacy, its influence on philosophy, and political strategy.

Antonio Labriola passed away in 1904. His contributions to Italian Marxism and his efforts to understand the needs of the working masses left a lasting impact on the development of socialist thought in Italy.