Gentile, Giovanni

Gentile, Giovanni
(1875–1944)
Italian philosopher. Born in Sicily, Gentile followed a career in education before becoming professor of history of philosophy at Palermo in 1906. He taught at Pisa, was Minister of Education in Mussolini's government in 1922, and in 1924 became first President of the National Fascist Institute of Culture. His support for both Italian and later German fascism led to his assassination by Italian communist partisans towards the end of the Second World War. Philosophically he is now identified with the ‘theory of the spirit as pure act’ (sometimes called actual idealism, or actualism), a form of idealism with historical antecedents in both Berkeley and Kant . Gentile, however, was not content with an unanalysed basis for knowledge in experience or sensation, but conceived of sensation in terms of an act of self-constitution or self-affirmation. This act is at the same time a discovery of the self as participant in a language and in a social world defined through norms and values. The social aspect of Gentile's thought too easily became part of an apologia for the organic state of fascism, but cleansed of this association, for instance in the hands of followers such as Collingwood, it represents a valuable insistence on the place of language and communication in the constitution of our identity as thinking persons. In Italy, Gentile's actual idealism was influential at least in spirit on both Christian and left-wing thinkers.

Philosophy dictionary. . 2011.

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  • Gentile, Giovanni — (1875–1944)    Born in Trapani (Sicily), Giovanni Gentile was both a philosopher of great distinction and a cultural propagandist on behalf of the Fascist regime. His early studies were done at Italy’s most renowned institute of higher education …   Historical Dictionary of modern Italy

  • Gentile, Giovanni — born May 30, 1875, Castelvetrano, Italy died April 15, 1944, Florence Italian philosopher, sometimes called the philosopher of fascism. A university professor, he and Benedetto Croce edited the journal La Critica (1903–22). He served in education …   Universalium

  • Gentile, Giovanni — See Idealism (italian) and after …   History of philosophy

  • Gentile, Giovanni — ► (1875 1944) Filósofo y político italiano. Creador de una tendencia filosófica llamada actualismo. Fue director de la Enciclopedia Italiana. * * * (30 may. 1875, Castelvetrano, Italia–15 abr. 1944, Florencia). Filósofo italiano, a veces llamado… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Gentile, Giovanni — (Castelvetrano, Trapani 1875 Firenze 1944) filosofo, teorico dell’attualismo; fondatore del “Giornale critico della filosofia italiana”, direttore de “La Nuova Antologia”; direttore dell’“Enciclopedia italiana” e presidente dell’Accademia… …   Dizionario biografico elementare del Novecento letterario italiano

  • Gentile — Gentile, Giovanni …   Philosophy dictionary

  • Giovanni Gentile — (* 30. Mai 1875 in Castelvetrano, Provinz Trapani, Sizilien; † 15. April 1944 in Florenz) war ein italienischer Philosoph, Kulturmanager und Politiker. Fotografisches Portrait Gentiles Im öffentlichen Bewusstsein vor allem Italiens wird …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Giovanni Gentile — (Castelvetrano, 30 de mayo de 1875 Florencia, 15 de abril de 1944) fue un filósofo italiano. Después de sus estudios de filosofía, a partir de 1906 se dedicó a ser profesor universitario. En ese mismo año empezó a colaborar con …   Wikipedia Español

  • Gentile — Gentile, Giovanni * * * (as used in expressions) Gentile da Fabriano Gentile di Niccolò di Massio Gentile, Giovanni …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • GENTILE (G.) — GENTILE GIOVANNI (1875 1944) Ancien élève de l’École normale supérieure de Pise, Gentile enseigne dès 1903 la philosophie aux universités de Naples, de Palerme et de Rome. Il est, après Benedetto Croce, le représentant le plus éminent de la… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

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