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Giovanni GentileItalian philosopher
Date of Birth: 30.05.1875
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Biography of Giovanni Gentile
Giovanni Gentile was an Italian philosopher, educator, and publisher. He was born on May 30, 1875 in Castelvetrano, Sicily. Gentile taught at the universities of Palermo and Pisa, before becoming a professor of philosophy at the University of Rome in 1917. He was the founder and leading proponent of the philosophy of actualism, a branch of neo-Hegelianism that emerged from the Neapolitan Hegelian movement of the late 19th century.
Philosophy of Actualism
According to actualism, which opposes naturalism and positivism, the act of thought ("thinking thought") is the only reality. The dialectic of this act makes all other things immanent to it. It is a self-constituting and self-affirming act, while also revealing the self in language and the social world, defined by norms and values. The most complete manifestation of actualistic dialectic can be found in logic, metaphysics, and the philosophy of the state.
Major Works
Gentile's approach is best articulated in his works, including "The General Theory of Spirit as Pure Act" (Teoria generale dello spirito come atto puro, 1916), "The System of Logic as Theory of Knowledge" (Sistema di logica come teoria del conoscere, v.1–2, 3rd edition 1940–1942), and "The Foundations of the Philosophy of Law" (I Fondamenti della filosofia del diritto, 1916). His other notable works include "The Philosophy of Marx" (La filosofia di Marx, 1899), "The Origins of Contemporary Italian Philosophy" (Le origini della filosofia contemporanea in Italia, 4 volumes, 1917–1923), "Education Reform" (La riforma dell'educazione, 1920), "The Philosophy of Art" (La filosofia dell'arte, 1931), and "My Religion" (La mia religione, 1943).
Editorial and Political Career
Gentile served as the editor of the "Italian Encyclopedia" ("Enciclopedia Italiana") from 1925 to 1943. From 1903 to 1922, he co-edited the journal "La Critica" with Benedetto Croce. In October 1922, Gentile became the Minister of Education in Mussolini's government, despite not being a member of the fascist party at the time. He held this position until July 1924. His work "Summary of Pedagogy" (Sommario di pedagogico) presents a clear exposition of idealistic educational philosophy. His works as a minister are represented in the collection "Fascism in Charge of the School" (Fascismo al governo della scuola). Under his leadership, a new law on education was enacted, replacing the Casati Law of 1859.
As a member of the fascist party, Gentile served as a senator and the chairman of the education council (1926–1928), a member of the Grand Fascist Council (1925–1929), and the chairman of the constitutional reform commission. Being a Hegelian, he emphasized the importance of national cultural groups and the need for a connection between freedom and discipline, which led him to support fascism. During World War II, his influence and reputation quickly diminished. Gentile was assassinated by partisans on the streets of Florence on April 15, 1944.
