Carlo Costamagna
Encyclopedia
Carlo Costamagna was an Italian
lawyer and academic noted as a theorist of corporatism
. He worked closely with Benito Mussolini
and his fascist movement
.
and saw fascism
as a transitory phase that existed only for the imposition of corporatism. On this point he had a long-running intellectual debate with Sergio Panunzio
who was a strong supporter of the fascist state as an end in itself rather than just a means to economic change. He edited his own journal, Lo Stato, which he founded in 1930.
in 1927, going on to hold similar posts at the University of Pisa
and the University of Rome.His corporatist theories were strongly influenced by the statism
of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
.
. Between 1926 and 1927 he was involved in drafting a series of laws with fellow legal expert Alfredo Rocco
and economist Giuseppe Bottai
designed to convert Italy to a fascist state. He then moved on to take a leading role in the Ministry of Corporations. He became a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
in 1929 and served in its successor the Chamber of Fasci and Corporations
. He was admitted to the Italian Senate
in 1943, by which time he had become part of the circle around the writer Julius Evola
.
and, with his combination of conservative ideals, corporatist economics and Evola inspired mysticism became one of the leading exponents of the Italian version of the Conservative Revolutionary movement
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
lawyer and academic noted as a theorist of corporatism
Corporatism
Corporatism, also known as corporativism, is a system of economic, political, or social organization that involves association of the people of society into corporate groups, such as agricultural, business, ethnic, labor, military, patronage, or scientific affiliations, on the basis of common...
. He worked closely with Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
and his fascist movement
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
.
Path to fascism
After studying law, Costamagna joined the fascist movement in 1920 and in 1924 was appointed National Secretary of Technical Councils. Politically Costamagna was highly conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
and saw fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
as a transitory phase that existed only for the imposition of corporatism. On this point he had a long-running intellectual debate with Sergio Panunzio
Sergio Panunzio
Sergio Panunzio was an Italian theoretician of revolutionary syndicalism. In the 1920s, he became a major theoretician of Italian Fascism....
who was a strong supporter of the fascist state as an end in itself rather than just a means to economic change. He edited his own journal, Lo Stato, which he founded in 1930.
Academic career
As an academic he was appointed Professor of Corporate Law at the University of FerraraUniversity of Ferrara
The University of Ferrara is the main university of the city of Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. In the years prior to the First World War the University of Ferrara, with more than 500 students, was the best attended of the free universities in Italy...
in 1927, going on to hold similar posts at the University of Pisa
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
and the University of Rome.His corporatist theories were strongly influenced by the statism
Statism
Statism is a term usually describing a political philosophy, whether of the right or the left, that emphasises the role of the state in politics or supports the use of the state to achieve economic, military or social goals...
of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was a German philosopher, one of the creators of German Idealism. His historicist and idealist account of reality as a whole revolutionized European philosophy and was an important precursor to Continental philosophy and Marxism.Hegel developed a comprehensive...
.
Government work
Alongside his role in the academic world Costamagna was also involved at various level of politics in Fascist ItalyKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. Between 1926 and 1927 he was involved in drafting a series of laws with fellow legal expert Alfredo Rocco
Alfredo Rocco
Alfredo Rocco was an Italian politician and jurist.Rocco was born in Naples.He was Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Urbino and in Macerata , then Professor of Civil Procedure in Parma, of Business Law in Padua, and later of Economic Legislation at "La Sapienza" University of Rome,...
and economist Giuseppe Bottai
Giuseppe Bottai
Guiseppe Bottai was an Italian lawyer, economist, journalist, and member of the National Fascist Party of Benito Mussolini.-Fascism:...
designed to convert Italy to a fascist state. He then moved on to take a leading role in the Ministry of Corporations. He became a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
in 1929 and served in its successor the Chamber of Fasci and Corporations
Chamber of Fasci and Corporations
Chamber of Fasci and Corporations was the official name of the Italian Chamber of Deputies established on January 19, 1939, to replace the Chamber of Deputies during the 30th legislature of Italy. The Chamber was vested with legislative power from March 23, 1939 to August 2, 1943, during the...
. He was admitted to the Italian Senate
Italian Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
in 1943, by which time he had become part of the circle around the writer Julius Evola
Julius Evola
Barone Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola also known as Julius Evola, was an Italian philosopher and esotericist...
.
Post-war
Costamagna did not face prison for his involvement in the fascist government after the Second World War but he was barred from any university involvement as a consequence. He was involved in the formation of the Italian Social MovementItalian Social Movement
The Italian Social Movement , and later the Italian Social Movement–National Right , was a neo-fascist and post-fascist political party in Italy. Formed in 1946 by supporters of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the party became the fourth largest party in Italy by the early 1960s...
and, with his combination of conservative ideals, corporatist economics and Evola inspired mysticism became one of the leading exponents of the Italian version of the Conservative Revolutionary movement
Conservative Revolutionary movement
The Conservative Revolutionary movement was a German national conservative movement, prominent in the years following the First World War. The Conservative Revolutionary school of thought advocated a "new" conservatism and nationalism that was specifically German, or Prussian in particular...
.