18 Education in Italy

Other treatises on pedagogy were published by Vitale, Rossi di Spello (1782-1851) in his 'Manuale di scuola preparatoria); by Luigi Alessandro Parravicini (1800-80) in his published in 1849. But the most systematic and best ar ranged work on pedagogy is that of Giambat tista Antonio Raynert, principi di metodica,> published in 1850. Rayneri (1810 67) was one of those who took the most prominent position in the diffusion of peda gogical culture among teachers, and it was not long before his books became almost a gospel for teachers.

Those who compared foreign treatises on pedagogy with our own found that our peda gogical culture was too local and not suffi ciently universal; that Italy needed a psycho logical revival so as to be able to place the science of education on a broader foundation; that there was a predominance of theological metaphysical ideas; that the lack of the spirit of political liberty restricted to a great extent the action of social ideas of any kind, and even of the pedagogical idea; that the lack of scho lastic life made pedagogy almost entirely for malistic.

And in that first half of the 19th century, with its new pedagogical ideas, and its new scholastic movement, we must note the literary revival in the schools through the works of Giannetto; of Luigi Alessandro Parravicini; the many books of Cesare Cana, by Antonio of the 'Letture per fanciulli> by Lambruschini; of the 'Lettuce graduate) by Thouar; and of Fontana and by 'Vincenzo Troya. In all these new books for school reading there breathed a popular spirit, and it made one feel the need of harmonizing the school with the actual life of the people, and of adapting the life and teaching of the school to the life and thought of the masses.

The Institutions of Ferrante Aporti (1792 1857) brought into brotherhood men of va rious beliefs, and were also patriotic institu tions. If these institutions were not new they at least derived benefit from the new Italian sentiment; and the asylums were co-operative in the nation's reconstruction, and made it evident to the masses that Italy would arise with new and higher ideals.

Pedagogical literature was also represented by women in Italy at this period by Caterina Franceschi Ferrucci (1803-67), whose chief work was entitled (L'educazione morale della donna italiana.> Her work was highly praised,

as it deserved to be. Giulia Molino-Colombint (181249) also wrote on pedagogy, and her work is entitled, (Sulla educazione della donna.) But after 1860, when the greater part of Italy became unified, there arose a new Iife, the life of the nation; and with the new life of the nation, a new philosophy, a new peda gogy.

The philosophy which before the revolution had been mainly Neo-Guelphian, now became wider in its scope, more Hegelian through the work of Ansonio Franchi Giuseppi; more posi tive in the writings of Andrea Angivari. The older schools continued, it is true, on the same lines, but the new life in the thought of the day made itself felt by emphasizing the need of for saking old traditions and placing the higher Italian intelligence on a par with the rest of the world; the need of making philosophy a free interpretation of the mind; the need of making the reconstruction of Italian specula tive thought correspond to the reconstruction of the whole Italian life. Whilst before the revolution, philosophy and pedagogy were strongly tinctured with Church doctrines, though perhaps ignorantly, there now arose a philosophy independent of all religious beliefs, a philosophy which sought nothing but the truth and the interests of humanity.

But even after the revolution pedagogical teaching allied itself closely to doctrines. Fusco, Siciliani, Angiulli, Latino, Gabelli and Veniali were very prominent in the pedagogy of the day. Eduardo Fusco (1824-& 72), professor of anthropology and pedagogy in the University of Naples, in his lectures, edited by his wife after his death, gives evi4 dence of a high and varied degree of culture, and profoundly liberal sentiments. He had a profound belief in education for refashioning Italian life and consciousness. Pietro Sicilian' (1835-85) combined more broadly than Fusco philosophic speculation with pedagogics. He sought in philosophy a certain middle way, which should merge into an eclecticism influ enced by the positivist traditions of Galileo and Vico. He became, in fact, after his manner a solitary positivist. He wrote a great many works on philosophy. His pedagogical works were the 'Storia cntica delle teorie pedagog iche in relazione colle scienze sociali);