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.
