CHINAZZI, GIUSEPPE. - Philosopher and politician, b. at Oviglio in 1839, d. at Genoa in 1897. He was first an officer in the Piedmontese army and took part in the campaign of 1866; after abandoning military life, he devoted himself to philosophical studies, having graduated in philosophy at the University of Turin in 1868. He educated the young in the ideals of the homeland and of religion, first as a teacher in lower schools at Voghera, then as a professor of philosophy at the A. Doria lyceum in Genoa and finally as a lecturer in moral philosophy at the University of the same city.
C. adhered to Rosmini, but his particularity consists in having sought to integrate Rosmini's conclusions with the results of subsequent speculation, especially in the moral-social field and in the pedagogical field, where he left his best works: Delle forze operative dell'animo umano (Genoa 1881); Delle armonie della scienza e della fede (ibid. 1884); Della influenza d'alcune condizioni fisiche sulla evoluzione psicologica dell'uomo (ibid. 1888), etc. He also treated historical questions in polemics received at the time with much favor, and subjects of literary criticism (on Manzoni, on Foscolo, on Leopardi). His most notable work remains the translation of the Libro a Marcella of Porphyry, which he enriched 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.
Bibliography
Alfredo Poggi