Ugo Spirito facts for kids

Ugo Spirito (born September 9, 1896, in Arezzo; died April 28, 1979, in Rome) was an important Italian thinker. He started as a political philosopher who supported fascism. Later, he became an idealist philosopher. He also taught at universities.

Early Life and Studies

Ugo Spirito studied law and philosophy at university. At first, he believed in something called positivism. This idea focused on scientific facts and observation.

However, in 1918, while studying at Sapienza University of Rome, he changed his mind. He started following the ideas of Giovanni Gentile. Gentile's philosophy was known as Actual Idealism. By the time he was 22, Spirito openly supported fascism and Gentile's ideas.

Ideas on Fascism and Economy

Spirito was especially interested in a part of fascism called corporatism. He wrote a lot about this topic in a journal. He believed in something he called 'integral corporatism'.

In this system, workers would own businesses, not just shareholders. This idea was similar to common ownership. Spirito's views were seen as being on the left-wing of fascism. He supported corporatism as a way to make many industries owned by the nation.

Other fascists sometimes criticized him. They even accused him of supporting Bolshevism, which was a communist idea. Spirito's economic ideas did not become law in Fascist Italy. Later, he lost favor with Benito Mussolini, Italy's leader. In 1942, Mussolini even stopped him from publishing a book of his ideas. The book was called Revolutionary War.

Academic Career

Besides his political interests, Ugo Spirito had a long career in universities. He was a professor at several places. These included the University of Pisa, University of Messina, and University of Genoa. He also taught at the University of Rome.

Early in his career, he focused on economics and criminal law. Later, he became more interested in philosophical questions. He also worked as an editor for important publications. He edited the Giornale Critico della Filosofia Italiana. He also worked on the Enciclopedia Italiana. He was also a director for the Nuovi Studi di Diritto, Economica e Politica journal.