Society & Politics
Sociologia E Politica · 337 articles · Principal contributors · All subjects-
Pareto, Vilfredo
PARETO, VILFREDO. - Economist, from a Genoese family, b. 15 July 1848 in Paris, where his father Raffaele was an exile following the… -
Parliament (PARLAMENTO)
PARLIAMENT. - I. HISTORY. - The term parlamentum was used in the Middle Ages to indicate institutions that differed from one another,… -
Parliamentary Privileges (PREROGATIVE PARLAMENTARI)
PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGES. - Traditionally, certain "prerogatives" (with consequent immunities) are recognized for parliamentarians (v. an… -
Participation (COMPARTECIPAZIONE)
PARTICIPATION. - I. NATURE. - An agrarian contract by which the individual worker provides his labor for given crops, in return for… -
Participationism (PARTECIPAZIONISMO)
PARTICIPATIONISM. - The various forms of employee participation in the management or in the surplus profits of enterprises that have been… -
Paternalism (PATERNALISMO)
PATERNALISM. - Any policy directed from above (emperor, king, lord) that takes account of the needs of the "subjects" is called… -
Paternity, Research on (PATERNITÀ, RICERCA DELLA)
PATERNITY, Research on. - While from the ethical point of view the search for paternity may be considered in itself and by itself lawful,… -
Patronage (PATRONATO)
PATRONAGE. - The concept of p. is the typical expression of a Catholic social position of the late nineteenth century that reflects a… -
Pauperism (PAUPERISMO)
PAUPERISM. - A phenomenon of a social nature whereby, in a given historical period and in a given territory, a part of the population comes… -
Pavissich, Antonio
PAVISSICH, ANTONIO. - Jesuit, preacher, sociologist, b. 13 June 1851 at Split in Dalmatia, d. 30 Nov. 1913 at Naples. Having entered the… -
Penitentiary (PENITENZIARIO)
PENITENTIARY. - In the technical sense it is the place where an individual, sentenced by a final judgment, must expiate the penalty imposed… -
People's Houses (CASE POPOLARI)
PEOPLE'S HOUSES. - Popular houses are civil buildings, urban or rural, intended for the housing of families of modest condition, who live… -
Périn, Charles-Henry-Xavier
PÉRIN, CHARLES-HENRY-XAVIER. - Economist, b. at Mons (Belgium) on 29 Aug. 1815, d. at Ghlin, near Mons, on 4 Apr. 1905. After having… -
Persichetti, Augusto
PERSICHETTI, AUGUSTO. - Organizer of Catholic associations, b. in Rome on 2 Aug. 1854, d. there on 8 June 1922. In 1877 he graduated in… -
Pesch, Heinrich
PESCH, HEINRICH. - Jesuit, writer on social politics and national economy, b. in Cologne on 17 Sept. 1854, d. in Valkenburg on 1 April… -
Pisacane, Carlo
PISACANE, CARLO. - Patriot and writer, b. in Naples on 22 Aug. 1818, d. at Sanza on 2 July 1857. Of a noble family, he entered the Collegio… -
Planning And Planism (PIANIFICAZIONE E PIANISMO)
PLANNING AND PLANISM. - There is economic planning when, in a nation, the functions of economic life are, for particular needs, programmed… -
Plebiscite (PLEBISCITO)
PLEBISCITE. - In Roman public law "p." indicated a resolution adopted by the concilia plebis on the proposal of the tribunes, and was… -
Plutocracy (PLUTOCRAZIA)
PLUTOCRACY. - In the etymological sense, p. (from πλοῦτος = "wealth" and κράτος = "power") means the dominion of wealth or of the men who… -
Political Economy (ECONOMIA POLITICA)
POLITICAL ECONOMY. - As many definitions of political economy have been given as there have been phases in its doctrinal development;… -
Political Elections (ELEZIONI POLITICHE)
POLITICAL ELECTIONS. - In a regime of representative democracy every citizen who has the requirements established by law is called to take… -
Political Freedoms (LIBERTÀ POLITICHE)
POLITICAL FREEDOMS. - They are the most immediate practical applications of the principle of liberty in a truly democratic State, that is,… -
Politics (POLITICA)
POLITICS. - Etymology, from the Greek πόλις = city, suggests the first and most general meaning of the term, insofar as it brings into… -
Population (POPOLAZIONE)
POPULATION. - It is the aggregate of all the inhabitants of a country, of a region, of a city, etc. Its size and composition vary… -
Pornography (PORNOGRAFIA)
PORNOGRAPHY. - From the Greek πονύγραφος, painter or writer of prostitution. According to the etymological meaning of the word, it denotes… -
Porsch, Felix
PORSCH, FELIX. - German Catholic politician, b. at Ratibor on 30 April 1853, d. at Breslau on 8 December 1930. A lawyer and counselor of… -
Pottier, Antoine
POTTIER, ANTOINE. - Sociologist, b. at Spa (Belgium) on 22 Feb. 1849, d. at Rome on 24 Nov. 1923. A boarder at the Collegio Capranica in… -
Prevention (Economic Problem) (PREVENZIONE (PROBLEMA ECONOMICO))
PREVENTION (Economic Problem). — In economics it is the operation by which provisions are set aside which, although subtracted from… -
Prison (CARCERE)
PRISON. - The Romans called carcer the place of custody for those condemned to the death penalty or to corporal punishments; and, both… -
Professional Representation (RAPPRESENTANZA PROFESSIONALE)
PROFESSIONAL REPRESENTATION. - Alongside the notion of political representation, the notably different notion of professional… -
Profit (PROFITTO)
PROFIT. - This term generally means the net return of the entrepreneur, corresponding to the interest that belongs to the capitalist and to… -
Progress (PROGRESSO)
PROGRESS. - Without reference to particular activities (economic, spiritual, industrial, juridical, etc.), the word currently sums up two… -
Prohibitionism (PROIBIZIONISMO)
PROHIBITIONISM. - In its modern meaning, it designates legislation tending to prohibit the consumption of alcoholic beverages by means of… -
Proletariat (PROLETARIATO)
PROLETARIAT. - In ancient Rome, proletarians or capite censi were those who were registered in the census only for their person and not for… -
Promotion (PROMOZIONE)
PROMOTION. - An Italianized English word, frequently used to mean the advancement of workers both in the technical-professional sense (the… -
Propaganda
PROPAGANDA. - If certain truth (whether revealed, scientific or moral) conquers minds slowly and therefore requires dissemination and… -
Protectionism (PROTEZIONISMO)
PROTECTIONISM. - Protectionism is part of that artificial system of expedients and maneuvers that constitutes economic policy. I.… -
Protection of Workers (PROTEZIONE DEI LAVORATORI)
PROTECTION OF WORKERS. - The protection or safeguarding of labor is a principle common to contemporary States, often proclaimed in… -
Psychotechnics (PSICOTECNICA)
PSYCHOTECHNICS. - Psychotechnics is, as it were, the synthesis of everything that, with an eye to the human factor, has been done by… -
Public Finance (FINANZA PUBBLICA)
PUBLIC FINANCE. - The etymology of finance is customarily derived from the medieval term "finatio", "financia" (a corruption of "finire"),… -
Public Morality (MORALITÀ PUBBLICA)
PUBLIC MORALITY. - By morality is understood the manner of conducting oneself in relation to the laws that regulate custom, and it is taken… -
Public Opinion (PUBBLICA OPINIONE)
PUBLIC OPINION. - I. NOTION. - Public opinion is not simply the sum of individual opinions, but is rather a body of ideas, sentiments,… -
Quadragesimo Anno
« QUADRAGESIMO ANNO ». - Encyclical of the pontiff Pius XI commemorating the Rerum novarum ("de ordine sociali instaurando et ad… -
Racism (RAZZISMO)
RACISM. - A term that came into use in Italy (and in France: racisme) starting in 1935-'38, to designate a doctrine and a political… -
Radicalism (RADICALISMO)
RADICALISM. - Usually the term serves to indicate the attitude of those ideological and political movements which, reconnecting to the… -
Radini Tedeschi, Carlo
RADINI TEDESCHI, CARLO. - Catholic organizer, b. at Piacenza in 1829, d. there on 23 March 1908. Of a noble family, he preserved and… -
Raiffeisen, Friedrich Wilhelm (RAIFFAISEN, FRIEDRICH WILHELM)
RAIFFEISEN, FRIEDRICH WILHELM. - Originator and organizer of agricultural credit cooperatives, b. at Hamm on the Sieg on 30 March 1818, d.… -
Raw Materials (MATERIE PRIME)
RAW MATERIALS. - They are also improperly called greggie [crude stocks], as those obtained directly, by so-called first-hand labor, from… -
Reason of State (RAGIONE DI STATO)
REASON OF STATE. - Ratio is the principle, the rule that governs the life of the State. R. di S. is the translation of ratio reipublicae.… -
Red Cross Society (SOCIETÀ DELLA CROCE ROSSA)
RED CROSS SOCIETY. - The R.C. is an international body, universal in character, operating in all the states of the world, legally regulated… -
Redistribution (REDISTRIBUZIONE)
REDISTRIBUTION. - In the classic division of political economy that goes back to J. B. Say (1803), still in use today, after the production… -
Referendum
REFERENDUM. - The r. is one of the institutions of direct democracy. These have in common the personal participation, rather than… -
Reformism (RIFORMISMO)
REFORMISM. - Reformism is neither a theory nor does it rest on a particular ideology, but rather a practical attitude concerning the method… -
Regions (REGIONI)
REGIONS. - The new Italian constitutional Charter proclaims that the Republic is "one and indivisible," but "recognizes and promotes local… -
Reparations (RIPARAZIONI)
REPARATIONS. - Reparations consist of that complex of financial and economic burdens and various services that the victor customarily… -
Reprisal (RAPPRESAGLIA)
REPRISAL. - Generally speaking, a reprisal is a coercive measure by which it is intended to settle a question of law that could not be… -
Republic (REPUBBLICA)
REPUBLIC. - The res publica originally, and in a generic sense, was understood as the complex of interests and activities or functions of… -
Rerum Novarum
« RERUM NOVARUM ». - Encyclical de conditione opificum of Leo XIII of 15 May 1891, thus known from the words with which it begins; it is… -
Restoration (RESTAURAZIONE)
RESTORATION. - Commonly by R. is meant the period that followed the Napoleonic collapse. It was not, however, a pure and simple return: in… -
Revenue (RENDITA)
REVENUE. - In common language it is equivalent to income (v.), with the addition of a marked character of gratuitousness, of certainty, or… -
Revolution (RIVOLUZIONE)
REVOLUTION. - Great uncertainty still reigns over the exact definition of the term. The revolutionary event is so complex in its causes and… -
Rezzara, Niccolò
REZZARA, NICCOLÒ. - Catholic organizer, b. at Chiuppano (Vicenza) in 1848, d. at Bergamo on 6 February 1915. At Vicenza he taught in the… -
Risk (In Industrial Financing) (RISCHIO (NEI FINANZIAMENTI INDUSTRIALI))
RISK (In Industrial Financing). - It deserves particular mention insofar as it dominates the basic phenomenon of the economy, namely the… -
Romagnoli, Augusto
ROMAGNOLI, AUGUSTO. - Apostle of the new education of the blind, b. in Bologna on 19 July 1879, with a conjunctivitis that made him lose… -
Rossignoli, Giovanni Pietro
ROSSIGNOLI, GIOVANNI PIETRO. - Philosopher and sociologist, b. at Borgomanero on Sept. 3, 1851, d. at Novara on March 24, 1909. In 1870 he… -
Rotary Club
ROTARY CLUB. - It is an association of businessmen and independent professionals founded on 23 February 1905 in Chicago by the American… -
Rudini, Antonio Starabba, Marchese di
RUDINI, ANTONIO STARABBA, marchese di. - Statesman, b. in Palermo on 16 March 1839, d. in Rome > (from B. Scherrn, F. J. H. Ratisbon-Rome… -
Rumor, Giacomo
RUMOR, GIACOMO. - Catholic and social organizer, b. at Vicenza on 26 Jan. 1858, d. there on 24 Feb. 1931. A member of a family that,… -
Rural Banks (CASSE RURALI)
RURAL BANKS. - Credit institutions, with distinctive characteristics, both in the aims they set themselves and the means they employ, and… -
Rural Question (RURALE, QUESTIONE)
RURAL, QUESTION. - The term rural question is customarily used to designate that complex of social problems which arise from circumstances… -
Saccardo, Francesco
SACCARDO, FRANCESCO. - Catholic journalist, b. in Venice on 12 Sept. 1862, d. at Chirignago (Venice) on 22 Oct. 1931. Having earned a… -
Sacchetti, Giuseppe
SACCHETTI, GIUSEPPE. - Journalist, b. at Arlesega (Padua) on 21 May 1845, d. at Florence on 20 Oct. 1906. He took an active part in the… -
Salaried Regime (SALARIALE, REGIME)
SALARIED REGIME. - It is the social regime characterized by the predominance, in the world of labor, of the wage form of remuneration over… -
Salary (SALARIO)
SALARY. - When a worker sells his labor at a fixed price, that is, for a fixed quantity of money, hourly, daily, weekly, fortnightly or… -
Salviati, Scipione
SALVIATI, SCIPIONE. - One of the most representative men of the Catholic laity, b. in Paris on 23 June 1823, d. in Rome on 15 June 1892.… -
Sangnier, Marc
SANGNIER, MARC. - Politician and sociologist, b. in Paris on 3 April 1873, d. there on 28 May 1950. Sent to the Collège Stanislas to… -
Santucci, Carlo
SANTUCCI, CARLO. - Catholic organizer, lawyer and senator, b. in Rome on 9 Feb. 1849, d. there on 29 July 1932. A lawyer of worth, he… -
Savings (RISPARMIO)
SAVINGS. - I. NOTION. - It is the positive difference between income and expenses (in the case of a business it is identified with profit).… -
Savings Bank (CASSA DI RISPARMIO)
SAVINGS BANK. — It can still be defined, recalling the words of De Gerando (v. bibl.), as a public deposit, to which every individual may… -
Scalabrini, Giovanni Battista
SCALABRINI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. - Bishop of Piacenza, founder of the Missionaries of St. Charles (Scalabrinians) and of the Society of St.… -
Schaepman, Hermannus Johannes Aloysius Maria
SCHAEPMAN, HERMANNUS JOHANNES ALOYSIUS MARIA. - Statesman of the Netherlands, b. at Tubbergen (province of Overijssel) on 2 March 1844, d.… -
Schindler, Franz Martin
SCHINDLER, FRANZ MARTIN. - Austrian sociologist, b. at Motzdorf in Bohemia on 25 Jan. 1847, d. at Vienna on 27 Oct. 1922. Ordained a priest… -
Schmitz, Hermann Joseph
SCHMITZ, HERMANN JOSEPH. - Auxiliary bishop of Cologne, canonist, promoter of the social movement, b. in Cologne on 16 May 1841, d. there… -
School, Freedom of (SCUOLA, LIBERTÀ DELLA)
SCHOOL, Freedom of. - It is a natural consequence of freedom of teaching (v. TEACHING, FREEDOM of) and concerns the organization of the… -
Scotton, Brothers (SCOTTON, FRATELLI)
SCOTTON, BROTHERS. - All three were priests and polemicists who, from their residence at Breganze, conducted for over thirty years… -
Segesser, Philipp Anton
SEGESSER, PHILIPP ANTON. - Swiss politician, b. in Lucerne on 5 April 1817, d. there on 30 June 1888. In 1851 a member of the Grand Council… -
Sharecropper (FITTO A COLTIVATORE DIRETTO)
SHARECROPPER. - This is a subspecies of the broader scheme of the leasing of agricultural lands, in which the lessee, as a small… -
Sharecropping (MEZZADRIA)
SHARECROPPING. - It is an agrarian contract of a typically associative nature, in which the grantor and the sharecropper associate for the… -
Smith, Adam
SMITH, ADAM. - Philosopher and economist, b. at Kirkcaldy (Scotland) on 5 June 1723, d. at Edinburgh on 17 July 1790. He entered the… -
Social Assistance (ASSISTENZA SOCIALE)
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE. - It is difficult to find a satisfactory definition of s.a. or social service. The definition is either too broad and… -
Social Insurance (ASSICURAZIONI SOCIALI)
SOCIAL INSURANCE. - The complex activity through which the State exercises its function of protecting the interests of workers unfolds… -
Socialism (SOCIALISMO)
SOCIALISM. - "S.", "collectivism", "communism" indicate a set of socio-economic systems that assign to the community, to the exclusion of… -
Socialization (SOCIALIZZAZIONE)
SOCIALIZATION. - A generic term used to designate the aims and method proper to socialist and communist economic schools, directed toward… -
Social Justice (GIUSTIZIA SOCIALE)
SOCIAL JUSTICE. - A new and very frequent term, born of the vague unease that derives from something lacking in modern society and from the… -
Social Legislation (LEGISLAZIONE SOCIALE)
SOCIAL LEGISLATION. - Social legislation, in the conventional and narrow sense (since in the broad sense every legislation, by its very… -
Social Modernism (MODERNISMO SOCIALE)
SOCIAL MODERNISM. - Similar to dogmatic modernism, social modernism can be called that movement of ideas and activities which, with regard… -
Social Psychology (PSICOLOGIA SOCIALE)
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY. - It is the branch of general psychology that studies predominantly two orders of phenomena: 1) the interferences and… -
Social Questions (QUESTIONI SOCIALI)
SOCIAL QUESTIONS. - "Social" is a term in common use, always employed to indicate what pertains to society. In the Middle Ages people spoke… -
Social Security (SICUREZZA SOCIALE)
SOCIAL SECURITY. - It is the establishment of a series of plans and measures aimed at maintaining social peace and the common welfare. The… -
Social Weeks (SETTIMANE SOCIALI)
SOCIAL WEEKS. - A characteristic type of conference for the study and diffusion of social Catholicism, first realized in 1903 in France,… -
Society (SOCIETÀ)
SOCIETY. - From the Latin socius, the term s. was initially used by Roman law to indicate the universitas personarum (also called ordines,… -
Sociology (SOCIOLOGIA)
SOCIOLOGY. - The term s. was used for the first time by A. Comte (Cours de philos. posit., IV, lesson 47, Paris 1839, p. 252) to indicate… -
Soderini, Edoardo
SODERINI, EDOARDO. - Italian politician, b. in Rome on 22 Nov. 1853, d. there on 15 May 1934. Deeply devoted to the Holy See, he was among… -
Solidarity (SOLIDARIETÀ)
SOLIDARITY. - A term deriving from Roman law, where a solidary obligation, or in solidum, denoted an obligation with a plurality of… -
Sonnenschein, Carl
SONNENSCHEIN, CARL. - German sociologist, b. July 15, 1876 in Düsseldorf, ordained a priest in 1900, d. Feb. 20, 1929 in Berlin. The son of… -
Sovereignty (SOVRANITÀ)
SOVEREIGNTY. - Since the middle of the last century the concept of s. has become the keystone of the modern conception of the State.… -
Spaventa, Silvio
SPAVENTA, SILVIO. - Patriot and jurist, b. at Bomba (Chieti) on 10 May 1822, d. at Rome on 21 June 1893, brother of the idealist… -
Speculation (SPECULAZIONE)
SPECULATION. - A financial operation in which the gain, generally to a degree far above normal in relation to the capital employed and to… -
State (STATO)
STATE. - The term has not always been used in the sense that is presently customarily attributed to it. For a long time it served to… -
Statutes and Constitutions (STATUTI E COSTITUZIONI)
STATUTES AND CONSTITUTIONS. - The two terms are generally not regarded as equivalent, although the particular distinctive notes of the one… -
Taylorism (TAYLORISMO)
TAYLORISM. - Scientific organization of labor, which arose in America at the end of the 19th century through the work of F. W. Taylor. In… -
Television (TELEVISIONE)
TELEVISION. - It consists in the transmission and reproduction at a distance of moving images, by means of electromagnetic waves. I.… -
Terrorism (TERRORISMO)
TERRORISM. - The term denotes a method of political action founded on the unconditional use of violence, without regard for any moral law,… -
Theocracy (TEOCRAZIA)
THEOCRACY. - According to its etymology (from θεός and χρῆσθαι), it signifies a form of regime in which the supreme political dominion… -
Tocci, Antonio
TOCCI, ANTONIO. - Priest and sociologist, b. at Serravalle d'Appecchio (Urbino) in 1734, d. at Cagli on 21 May 1814. A pious and zealous… -
Tönnies, Ferdinand
TÖNNIES, FERDINAND. - Sociologist, b. at Oldensworth (Schleswig) on 26 July 1855, d. on 9 Apr. 1936. Having obtained his doctorate in… -
Tonolo, Giuseppe (TONIOLO, GIUSEPPE)
TONOLO, GIUSEPPE. - One of the greatest masters of Catholic social thought, b. at Treviso on 7 March 1845, d. at Pisa on 7 Oct. 1918, in… -
Totalitarianism (TOTALITARISMO)
TOTALITARIANISM. - It is a neologism, coined from the adjective "total" (totus), to indicate that form of regime and that political… -
Trade Unionism and Trade Union (SINDACALISMO E SINDACATO)
TRADE UNIONISM AND TRADE UNION. - These are forms of professional organization which at present, in the various languages, are usually… -
Tyranny and Tyrannicide (TIRANNIA E TIRANNICIDIO)
TYRANNY AND TYRANNICIDE. - Tyrant (τύραννος) and tyranny are relative terms, of which the second indicates a form of regime and the first… -
Unemployment (DISOCCUPAZIONE)
UNEMPLOYMENT. - This means the condition of the worker who, against his will, finds himself without remunerative occupation. The phenomenon… -
Unification (UNIFICAZIONE)
UNIFICATION. — The spontaneous tendency and reasoned purpose of individuals and of society, aimed at balancing the growing complexity and… -
Union of Fribourg (UNIONE DI FRIBURGO)
UNION OF FRIBOURG. - An association of European Catholics who studied social problems, established at the end of the last century, which… -
Urbanism (URBANESIMO)
URBANISM. - Name commonly used to indicate the general phenomena of the formation of large urban agglomerations, especially when rapid and… -
Uses (USI)
USAGES. - It is the traditional opinion (though not without opposition) that uses (understood in a generic sense as equivalent to customs)… -
Vergani, Paolo
VERGANI, PAOLO. - Prelate and economist, b. in Piedmont in 1753, d. in Paris ca. 1820. Biographical information on V. is scarce, even… -
Vrau, Philibert
VRAU, PHILIBERT - Born in Lille on Nov. 19, 1829, died there on May 16, 1905. He returned to the faith he had lost by cultivating a… -
Wealth (RICCHEZZA)
WEALTH. - Things that are useful, limited and material are called w. The usefulness and the limitation of a thing are understood in a… -
Weber, Max
WEBER, MAX. - Sociologist, b. in Erfurt on 21 April 1864, d. in Munich on 14 July 1920. A pupil of Goldschmidt, he taught at the… -
Werthmann, Lorenz
WERTHMANN, LORENZ. - Priest, founder and first president of German Caritas, b. 1 Oct. 1858 at Geisenheim, d. 10 Apr. 1921 at Freiburg im… -
White Slave Trade (TRATTA DELLE BIANCHE)
WHITE SLAVE TRADE. - It is the recruitment of women, carried out by violence, deceit, threats or financial offers, and their transport from… -
Windthorst, Ludwig
WINDTHORST, LUDWIG. - German politician, b. 17 January 1812 at the Caldenhof farm near Osterkappeln, d. 14 March 1891 in Berlin. From a… -
Work (LAVORO)
WORK. - Labor is, in the historical order, the second factor of production: it is the first in dignity and importance. It can be defined as… -
Workers' Shareholding (AZIONARIATO DEL LAVORO)
LABOR SHAREHOLDING. - It is one of the correctives to the wage system, by which workers and employees obtain ordinary or special shares of… -
Zileri dal Verme, Roberto
ZILERI DAL VERME, ROBERTO. - Italian deputy and Catholic organizer, b. in Rome on 25 Oct. 1858, d. in Vicenza on 28 Feb. 1937. He was among… -
Zionism (SIONISMO)
ZIONISM. - A political movement aimed at procuring for the Jews an independent and recognized national State, it established itself at the… -
Zucchini, Carlo
ZUCCHINI, CARLO. - Italian deputy and Catholic organizer, b. at Faenza on 13 Apr. 1862, d. at Rocchetta di Vara (La Spezia) on 14 Nov.…