Tommazo Kampanella Italian philosopher, poet, politician, author of a communist utopia Date of Birth: 05.09.1568 Country: France

1. Biography of Tommaso Campanella
2. Early Works and Controversy
3. Imprisonment and Philosophical Works
4. Later Life and Death
5. Philosophical and Political Ideas

Biography of Tommaso Campanella

Tommaso Campanella was an Italian philosopher, poet, politician, and author of the communist utopia. He was born on September 5, 1568, in Stilo, Calabria, Italy. At the age of 15, he became a Dominican monk and studied the works of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, astrology, and Kabbalah in the order's schools.

Early Works and Controversy

After reading Telesio's work "De rerum natura iuxta propria principia" (1565), Campanella opposed Aristotelian philosophy and defended Telesio in his book "Philosophia sensibus demonstrata" (1591), which provided a scientific proof of Christianity based on sensory perception and self-knowledge. He was arrested on charges of heresy but was soon released. However, he was arrested again in 1593 and acquitted in 1596. During this time, he wrote works such as "De monarchia Christianorum" (1593) and "Dialogo politico contra Luterani, Calvinisti e altri eretici" (1595).

Imprisonment and Philosophical Works

In 1599, Campanella was arrested again, this time on charges of conspiring against the Spanish regime in Naples. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1602 and spent almost 27 years in prison. It was during this time that he wrote his major philosophical works, including "Apologia pro Galileo" (1622), "De sensu rerum et magia" (1620), "Atheismus triumphatus" (1631), and numerous other poems, madrigals, sonnets, and other poetic works, presented in "Scelta" (1622).

Later Life and Death

Campanella was released in 1626 and acquitted in 1629. He attempted to convey his ideas to the papal court. However, fearing further condemnation due to a conspiracy that was uncovered in Naples in 1634, he fled to Paris under the patronage of Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu. Campanella died in Paris on May 21, 1639.

Philosophical and Political Ideas

In his philosophy, Campanella attempted to provide a scientific proof of Christianity based on sensory perception and self-knowledge. He believed that the universe is a mixture of being and non-being, and change is generated by the opposing principles of love and discord. According to Campanella, all things possess a soul and feelings at different levels, and everything strives for self-preservation. However, rational beings can only achieve this by uniting with God.

Campanella's political philosophy, as depicted in his work "La citta del Sole" (1602), presents a communist society controlled by the principles of eugenics, ruled by a king-priest and three state ministers. This utopian vision reflects Campanella's dream of converting all of humanity to Catholicism and establishing a global authoritarian state under the authority of the papacy (the "monarchy of the Messiah").