GIUSEPPE FERRARI. — Philosopher and political figure, b. Milan 7 March 1811, d. Rome 10 July 1876. A pupil of Romagnosi, in 1838 he went into exile in France and taught at the college of Rochfort, at Strasbourg and at Bourges. His political extremism and scepticism twice cost him his professorship. After 1859 he returned to Italy, became deputy and later senator, and taught in Turin, Milan, Florence and Rome.
As a philosopher, F. may be regarded as a precursor of positivism. A student of Vico, he deserves credit for overseeing the first edition of Vico’s complete works (6 vols., Milan 1835–37). The influence of Vico is evident, albeit distorted, in his conception of the philosophy of history, set out chiefly in Teoria dei periodi politici (ibid. 1874) and Arimutica della storia (ibid. 1875). His political ideas, oriented toward Italian regional federalism, are expounded mainly in: Machiavelli, Juge des revolutions de notre temps (Paris 1849); Filosofia della rivoluzione (2 vols., London and Capolago 1851); L'Italia dopo il colpo di Stato (Capolago 1852); Corso sugli scrittori politici italiani (Milan 1862); etc.
Assessments of both the philosopher and the political historian are largely negative. F.’s judgments are too often partisan, his style demagogic, his scholarship unreliable, and his irreligion systematic.