CHINAZZI, GIUSEPPE. - Philosopher and politician, b. at Oviglio in 1839, d. at Genova in 1897. He was first an officer in the Piedmontese army and took part in the campaign of 1866; having subsequently abandoned military life, he devoted himself to philosophical studies, after taking a degree in philosophy at the University of Torino in 1868. He educated the young in the ideals of country
and religion, first as a teacher in lower schools at Voghera, then as professor of philosophy at the A. Doria lycée in Genova, and finally as lecturer in moral philosophy at the University of the same city.
C. adhered to Rosmini, but his distinctive feature consisted in having sought to integrate Rosminian conclusions with the results of subsequent speculation, especially in the moral-social and pedagogical fields, in which he produced his best works: Delle forze operative dell'animo umano (Genova 1881); Delle armonie della scienza e della fede (ibid. 1884); Della influenza d'alcina condizioni fisiche sulla evoluzione psicologica dell'uomo (ibid. 1888), etc. He also dealt with historical questions in controversies that were then received very favorably, and with topics of literary criticism (on Manzoni, Foscolo, Leopardi). His most noteworthy work remains his translation of Porphyry’s Libro a Marcella, which he furnished with historical and philosophical notes, comparing Neoplatonic doctrine with Christian doctrine. He took an active part in the Catholic movement of those early years of Italian unity, openly defending religious instruction at the pedagogical congresses of 1875 and 1883. From 1877 until his death he was one of the liveliest polemicists of the Genoese Catholic daily Il cittadino.