Idealismo e neohegelismo in Piero Martinetti. Filosofia, scienza e religione

The subject of this dissertation is an analysis of Piero Martinetti's reflections around idealism. Therefore, the historical and cultural motivations that led this author to adhere to idealism, and the deeper speculative motives of his speculation are investigated. This research has a historiographic and a speculative purpose. On the historiographic side, it is intended to show the hitherto neglected influence that certain authors, such as the British idealists, had on Martinetti. From the theoretical standpoint, it is intended to show that the core of Martinetti's philosophy consists in the affirmation of the identity of divine Unity with the world of experience. Particular attention is given to the theme of God's transcendence with respect to the world, showing how this transcendence is affirmed on the basis of a logic of “Eleatic” inspiration. The first chapter offers an examination of the cultural context in which Martinetti comes to form his thought, suggesting that his youthful adherence to idealism should be framed within the context of the crisis of nineteenth-century positivism. In the second chapter, a more detailed analysis of the fundamental themes of Martinetti's idealism is provided, insisting in particular on his ontological declination of the transcendental structure of experience put forth by Kant. Indeed, a characteristic feature of Martinetti's conception is the interpretation of the Kantian synthesis of subject and object as an affirmation of the original identity of absolute being with empirical multiplicity. In the third chapter, Martinetti's ambiguous relationship with German idealism is explored, referring especially to Fichte and Hegel. Explicitly, Martinetti intends to purge their philosophies of the “panlogistic” assumptions that push these authors toward immanentism; implicitly, however, he recognizes in their speculations the principles of a metaphysical conception that, if consistently carried out, would lead to transcendence. The Martinettian reworking of the Fichtean doctrine of intellectual intuition is carefully analyzed, as well as the author's criticism of the Hegelian theory of the Absolute. In the fourth chapter, British idealism is approached in order to reveal its influence on Martinetti's philosophy. First, a presentation of the history of Anglo-Saxon idealism is given, with special emphasis on the current of absolute idealism. Next, the doctrines of T.H. Green, F.H. Bradley and John Caird are examined in detail, demonstrating which of their theses were later adopted by Martinetti as well. It is thus shown how Martinetti employed British idealism for a logical-ontological rigorization of the rational elevation to God. Finally, in the conclusions, in addition to providing a brief summary of the path taken, some elements are introduced to set up a discussion between Martinetti's idealism and Gentile actualism.