Filosofia della Storia e filosofia della Religione nel pensiero di Giuseppe Rensi

The thesis analyses Giuseppe Rensi’s work (1871-1941) one of the most problematic thinkers of the italian philosophy in the twentieth century. We focus two basic subjects about this very prolific philosopher: the History and the Religion. Rensi reflected upon them for about forty years. His interest on History was entirely natural because of his political militancy. Rensi was indeed the first Socialist deputy in Ticino. His Philosophy of History is basically characterized by two stages. In the first one there is a belief in the human Development and in the glorious destiny of the universal History. The other one is subsequent to the sceptical turning point of his thought, when he loses confidence in History considered as cruel, absurd and the fruit of chance. The Religion is present all over Rensi’s production though with very different tones. To a first stage of idealistic mysticism followed a second one characterised by a hard criticism culminating in the Apology of Atheism. Finally there was a third stage of sceptical spiritualism expressed in Spiritual Letters. The author asks himself if there is a connection between the Philosophy of History and that one of Religion and how one could have influenced on the other one. The research founded on the critical literature so far expressed, points out some pages almost unknown of the Venetian Philosopher and calls into question forms and judgements uncritically repeated over the years.