Giovanni Reale (15 April 1931 – 15 October 2014) was an
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
historian of philosophy.
Biography
Reale was born in
Candia Lomellina
Candia Lomellina is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southwest of Milan and about west of Pavia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,639 and an area of .All demographi ...
,
Pavia
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the capit ...
. He attended the Gymnasium and the
Liceo classico
Liceo classico or Ginnasio (literally ''classical lyceum'') is the oldest, public secondary school type in Italy. Its educational curriculum spans over five years, when students are generally about 14 to 19 years of age.
Until 1969, this was ...
of
Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato () is a town in the Piedmont region of Italy, in the province of Alessandria. It is situated about east of Turin on the right bank of the Po, where the river runs at the foot of the Montferrat hills. Beyond the river lies the v ...
, and was then educated at the
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (English: ''Catholic University of the Sacred Heart'', colloquially the ''Catholic University of Milan''), known as UCSC or UNICATT or simply Cattolica, is an Italian private research university founded in 19 ...
of
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, where he graduated. He later continued his studies in
Marburg an der Lahn
Marburg ( or ) is a university town in the German federal state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district (''Landkreis''). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approximat ...
and
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
.
After a period of teaching in high schools, he won a professorship at the
University of Parma
The University of Parma ( it, Università degli Studi di Parma, UNIPR) is a public university in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is organised in nine departments. As of 2016 the University of Parma has about 26,000 students.
History
During the ...
, where he taught courses in
moral philosophy
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...
and the
history of philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
. He then returned to the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan, where he was professor of the history of
ancient philosophy
This page lists some links to ancient philosophy, namely philosophical thought extending as far as early post-classical history ().
Overview
Genuine philosophical thought, depending upon original individual insights, arose in many cultures ...
for many years, and where he also founded the Centro di Ricerche di Metafisica. In 2005 he moved to teach at the new faculty of philosophy at
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
The Vita-Salute San Raffaele University ( it, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele Also known as UniSR) is a private university in Milan, Italy. It was founded in 1996 and is organized in three departments; Medicine, Philosophy and Psychology.
Hi ...
of Milan.
He died on 15 October 2014 in his home in
Luino
Luino (Western Lombard: ''Lüin'') is a small town and ''comune'' near the border with Switzerland on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the Province of Varese (Lombardy, northern Italy).
Luino received the honorary title of city with a presid ...
.
Research
His main argument is that categories of
Greek philosophy
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC, marking the end of the Greek Dark Ages. Greek philosophy continued throughout the Hellenistic period and the period in which Greece and most Greek-inhabited lands were part of the Roman Empir ...
and its particular way of thinking led to the birth and development of the science and technology in the
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
.
His research interests range throughout the ancient
pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
and
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
thought, and his most significant contributions have touched gradually
Aristotle
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...
,
Plato
Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
,
Plotinus
Plotinus (; grc-gre, Πλωτῖνος, ''Plōtînos''; – 270 CE) was a philosopher in the Hellenistic philosophy, Hellenistic tradition, born and raised in Roman Egypt. Plotinus is regarded by modern scholarship as the founder of Neop ...
,
Socrates
Socrates (; ; –399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no te ...
and
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
. He studied each of these authors from an
against-the-grain perspective, inaugurating, in the opinion of
Cornelia de Vogel, a new reading of these authors.
Reale's reinterpretation of Aristotle disputes the
positivist-influenced interpretation of
Werner Jaeger
Werner Wilhelm Jaeger (30 July 1888 – 19 October 1961) was a German-American classicist.
Life
Werner Wilhelm Jaeger was born in Lobberich, Rhenish Prussia in the German Empire. He attended school in Lobberich and at the Gymnasium Thomaeum in ...
, according to which the writings of Aristotle are informed by a progression of dominant beliefs: at first,
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, where debate is in reference to
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
; then metaphysics, where the universal rights of man are the focus; and finally arriving at the viewpoint of
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
. Reale argued instead the fundamental unity of the metaphysical thought of Aristotle.
Reale was one of the main proponents of the existence of Plato's unwritten doctrines or theory of the principles, a metaphysical theory ascribed to Plato by Aristotle and other ancient philosophers, but not clearly formulated in his writings. According to Reale, the best and most important part of Plato's philosophy was precisely the one orally expounded to the students in the Academy.
Works
Reale's main writings are:
* ''Il concetto di filosofia prima e l'unità della Metafisica di Aristotele'',
Vita e Pensiero, Milan (1961), then
Bompiani
Bompiani is an Italian publishing house based in Milan. It was founded in 1929 by Valentino Bompiani.
In 1990, Bompiani became part of the RCS MediaGroup. It was sold in 2015 to the Giunti Group. It is widely regarded as one of the leading literar ...
, Milan (2008)
* ''Introduzione a Aristotele'',
Laterza, Bari (1974)
* ''Storia della filosofia antica, 5 volumi'',
Vita e Pensiero, Milan (1975, reissued several times)
* ''Il pensiero occidentale dalle origini ad oggi'',
La Scuola
''La scuola'' (also known as ''School'') is a 1995 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Daniele Luchetti. It is loosely based on two books by Domenico Starnone, ''Ex Cattedra'' and ''Sottobanco''.
The film was awarded with the David di Donatello ...
, Brescia (1983)
* ''Per una nuova interpretazione di Platone'', CUSL, Milan (1984), then
Vita e Pensiero, Milan (2003)
* ''Introduzione a Introduzione a Proclo'',
Laterza, Bari (1989)
* ''Filosofia antica'',
Jaca Book, Milan (1992)
* ''Saggezza antica'',
Cortina, Milan (1995)
* ''Eros demone mediatore'',
Rizzoli, Milan (1997)
* ''Platone. Alla ricerca della sapienza segreta'',
Rizzoli, Milan (1997), then Bompiani, Milan (2005)
* ''Guida alla lettura della Metafisica di Aristotele'',
Laterza, Bari (1997)
* ''Raffaello: La "Disputa"'',
Rusconi
Rusconi was a Swiss jazz band. It was one of the most successful contemporary representatives of free rock, noise, new improvisational music, groove, and electronica in Switzerland.
History
Stefan Rusconi (piano), Claudio Strüby (drums), ...
, Milan (1998)
* ''Corpo, anima e salute'',
Cortina, Milan (1999)
* ''Socrate. Alla scoperta della sapienza umana'',
Rizzoli, Milan (1999)
* ''Il pensiero antico'',
Vita e Pensiero, Milan (2001)
* ''La filosofia di Seneca come terapia dei mali dell'anima'', Bompiani, Milan (2003)
* ''Radici culturali e spirituali dell'Europa'',
Cortina, Milan (2003)
* ''Storia della filosofia greca e romana, 10 volumi'', Bompiani, Milan (2004)
* ''Valori dimenticati dell'Occidente'', Bompiani, Milan (2004)
* ''L'arte di Riccardo Muti e la Musa platonica'', Bompiani, Milan (2005)
* ''Come leggere Agostino'', Bompiani, Milan (2005)
* ''Karol Wojtyla un pellegrino dell'assoluto'', Bompiani, Milan (2005)
* ''Autotestimonianze e rimandi dei Dialoghi di Platone alle "Dottrine non scritte"'', Bompiani, Milan (2008)
* ''Storia del pensiero filosofico e scientifico'',
La Scuola
''La scuola'' (also known as ''School'') is a 1995 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Daniele Luchetti. It is loosely based on two books by Domenico Starnone, ''Ex Cattedra'' and ''Sottobanco''.
The film was awarded with the David di Donatello ...
, Brescia (2012)
* ''Cento anni di filosofia. Da Nietzsche ai nostri giorni'',
La Scuola
''La scuola'' (also known as ''School'') is a 1995 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Daniele Luchetti. It is loosely based on two books by Domenico Starnone, ''Ex Cattedra'' and ''Sottobanco''.
The film was awarded with the David di Donatello ...
, Brescia (2015)
Translations and comments
*
*
*
Honors
*
![ITA OMRI 2001 GC BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/ITA_OMRI_2001_GC_BAR.svg)
Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking ...
– «Initiative of the
President of Italy
The president of Italy, officially denoted as president of the Italian Republic ( it, Presidente della Repubblica Italiana) is the head of state of Italy. In that role, the president represents national unity, and guarantees that Italian poli ...
», 3 June 2011
*"Roncisvalle" Prize of the
University of Navarra
, image = UNAV.svg
, latin_name = Universitas Studiorum Navarrensis
, established = 17 October 1952
, type = Private, Roman Catholic
, chancellor = Fernando Ocáriz Braña
, president = María Iraburu Eliz ...
*
Honorary citizen
Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...
of
Syracuse
Honorary degree
*International Academy of Philosophy of
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
*
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin ( pl, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, la, Universitas Catholica Lublinensis Ioannis Pauli II, abbreviation KUL), established in 1918. It is the only private college in Poland with the s ...
*
Moscow State University
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reale, Giovanni
1931 births
2014 deaths
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore faculty
Historians of philosophy
21st-century Italian philosophers
20th-century Italian philosophers
Moral philosophers
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic