Carlo Rosselli - Liberal Socialists, a few scattered leaves
Carlo Rosselli - Liberal Socialists, a few scattered leaves Rosselli certainly seems to have written yesterday ...
"The experience of Italian socialism, alas, are the most striking confirmation of the above. The philosophers of historical materialism complain about the inadequate preparation and the theoretical and philosophical consequential lack of Italian Socialists, and they think they find it in one of the causes of defeat. I dare not complain to the contrary. Too much concern or theoretical pseudoteretica, too much care to come into compliance with "royalties" as Marxists, too afraid to show empirical, resolute and pragmatists. Unbearable at times, especially during periods of action and is binding early decision, unbearable that false historicist concern that comes from Marx, and even more from him, from the whole cohort Marxist. Always feared of being anti-historical, leaving the route charted great Marxist, not perfectly adhere to the historical aspect of his time. When historians it comes to the news, reporters when it comes to history. From this analysis, studies, discussions, racking, to fix precisely the chimeric school and "marital status" of their time, diagnosis and prognosis of the phenomena which can be observed. Professorial mentality that has nothing to do with the men of action they intend to actively cooperate in the historical process.
In Italy, the common house burned, the flames of the workers building the reddening sky, and the tenants - the Socialists - have been squabbling among themselves to determine whether this was really a fire, which causes it to rise, if part of this or that category , if it was or was not provided in sacred texts, if it were limited to Italy, etc.. etc.. "
..." The Italian problem is essentially the problem of freedom. But the problem of freedom in its fullness: that of spiritual autonomy, emancipation of consciousness in the individual sphere, and the organization of freedom in the social sphere, ie in state building and the relations between groups and classes. No free man, no chance of a free state. [...] The man's freedom begins with education and ends with the triumph of a free State, in equal rights and duties, in a country where freedom of each is provided and limit the freedom of all. Now it's a sad thing to say, but no less true that in Italy the man's education, training and moral base of the cell - the individual - is still largely to be done. It lacks the most, of misery, indifference, secular renunciation, jealous and deep sense of autonomy and responsibility. A servitude of centuries ago so that now even the average Italian oscillates between the slave and the dress turned anarchist. The concept of life as struggle and mission, the concept of freedom as a moral obligation, awareness of its limitations and lack of others. The Italians have more often the pride of their person, in its values and external relations, that of their personality. Their inner life is rich, but one-sided, especially rich in sentimental sphere in which erupts in extreme forms and instinctive. The quiet reflection on the greatest problems of life, the habit of trading with its own internal forum, that fertile spiritual torment that slowly creates a whole inner world prodigious who alone can give the consciousness of itself as separate and autonomous units, lacking the most. Catholic education - pagan worship and dogmatic in essence - and the long series of paternal governments for centuries, Italians have exempted himself from thinking first. The misery did the rest. Still leaves the average Italian the Church to its spiritual autonomy, and now is forced to leave the state, elevated to the end, even the dignity of man, reduced to mere means. Willing to servitude in social and political domain. Logical conclusion of a process of passive renunciation.
The idleness of the Italians - legend insulting material order - unfortunately some foundation in the moral order. The Italians are lazy, morally, there is a fund in their skepticism and Machiavellianism of low rank that causes them to contaminate, mocking, all values, and to transform the comedy in the darkest tragedies. Accustomed to think for intermediaries in the great problems of consciousness - A real spiritual contract - it is natural to resign the contract easily even in the great problems of political life. The intervention of the deus ex machina, the leader, the trainer - it is called the pope, king, Mussolini - often respond to their psychological needs. From this point of view, Mussolini's government is far from revolutionary. It builds on the tradition and carry on the line of least resistance. Fascism is, against all appearances, the more passive results of Italian history. Huge resurgence of centuries and abject phenomenon of adaptation and self-denial.
Mussolini triumphed for the almost universal desertion, through an extensive network of skilled compromises. Only some small minority of working class and intellectuals had the courage to face it with radical intransigence from the beginning.
Mussolini provides a measure of its banality when considering the problem of authority and discipline as the essential teaching problem for the Italians.
thank goodness, this is not what should be taught Italians! For centuries bowed to all domains and all the tyrants they served.
Our story so far does not offer any real revolution of the people. In all periods of its history, the Italian people have given off high points of his heart, lonely, inaccessible minorities heroic characters ironclad, but it has never been able to realize himself. Italy was absent in the great religious wars, yeast maximum of liberalism, birth of modern man. The Italian Catholicism, tainted by the Roman court and the passive consensus, also remained outside the process of purification that followed the Reformation. Catholicism in the land of monopoly has nothing to do with the Catholic lands of competition.
For centuries we lived in the world of politics, tired of reflected light and rugged and there came the great waves of European life. "
Carlo Rosselli, Liberal Socialism, 1928