Introduzione

Norberto Bobbio

Norberto Bobbio (Turin, 1909 – 2004) was both a witness and a protagonist among the most eminent figures of the 20th Century. His vast body of writings contributed to the shaping of Italian political and legal culture of his time and beyond. The influence of his intellectual and moral teaching was and remains even greater than his scientific production. He was a man of dialogue, who through the rigour and clarity of his interventions succeeded in involving not only international scholars in the debate over public issues, but also many citizens for whom he became the symbol and critical conscience of civil Italy.

"Norberto Bobbio: writings, research, books"

Bobbio Centenary

To celebrate the Centenary of Norberto Bobbio's Birth, the Italian Minister of Culture established a National Committee, constituted by more than a hundred Italian and international public institutions and intellectual figures. The National Committee formulated a wide-ranging programme of activities to promote dialogue and reflection on the thought and figure of Norberto Bobbio, and on the future of democracy, culture and civilisation. The aim is to facilitate the participation of all citizens in the commemoration of one of the significant intellectual and moral figures of 20 th Century Europe. The following events are anticipated.

Centenary Opening

The celebrations for the Bobbio Centenary were officially opened on Saturday 10 January, 2009, in the Great Hall of the University of Turin.

Photos of the meeting and all videos of the individual contributions are available through the multimedia channels. The presenters’ speeches are also available in audio.

Congress and international seminar

The congress “ From the 20 th to the 21 st Century: The future of Norberto Bobbio ” will be held from 15 to 17 October 2009, beginning with an address by the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.
The international seminar “Invitation to dialogue ” will be devoted to a debate between Italian and foreign scholars on some important contemporary problems. On 25 th April 2009 the first meeting will be held on the topic “Twentyfive years after ‘The future of democracy'”, organized in collaboration with the Biennale democrazia .

Polycentric Exhibition “Bobbio & the 20th Century”

The exhibition will be staged at the Turin State Archive, and remain open from mid-October 2009 to mid-January 2010. It will illustrate the figure of Norberto Bobbio ‘within his world', highlighting in particular the network of relations developed with his ‘lifetime friends'.

Public Lectures “Norberto Bobbio”

The lectures are open to the public, and will address the topic of ‘ Civil Italy '. They will be held during 2010 in Turin and other Italian cities, starting with those in which Norberto Bobbio taught legal philosophy.

Norberto Bobbio’s writings

The Piero Gobetti Studies Centre maintains the electronic version of Norberto Bobbio's bibliography . The National Committee aims to complete the scanning of all the texts in the bibliography, which will facilitate the publication of a critical edition.