SANSEVERINO, GAETANO. — Neo-Scholastic philosopher, b. in Naples on 7 Aug. 1811, d. there on 16 Nov. 1865. Ordained a priest, he was appointed librarian of the R. Library of Naples. In 1840 he founded the Biblioteca cattolica, intended to make known the most significant Italian and foreign works defending Catholic thought, and the journal Scienza e fede, in order to facilitate and extend the new current of ideas. In 1846 he was appointed to the chair of philosophy at the archiepiscopal lyceum, which he held until his death, adding to it an Academy of Thomistic Philosophy for the more accurate and profound study of the doctrine of s. Thomas.
The fruit of his studies and teaching consists of various valuable works, the principal among them being the Philosophia christiana cum antiqua et nova comparata, of which he published the first 5 vols. in 1862, while vol. VI was completed after his death, in accordance with his approach, by his pupil N. SIGNORELLI, LUCA (v.). With acuity and profundity, he gathers together the true meaning of Scholastic doctrine, connects it with the thought of the Fathers and of the most illustrious philosophers, and compares it with contrary modern systems, deriving from it solid and effective arguments for refuting them. On account of his teaching, his works, and the excellent disciples he succeeded in forming (Prisco, Signoriello, and Talamo), he is considered one of the principal restorers of Scholastic philosophy in Italy. (v. SCOLASTICA).