Giorgio Tagliacozzo, Giambettista Vico, an international symposium, 1969

HISTORY OF LEGAL THOUGHT 345 It is in this situation, so variegated, so restlessly mobile, so dynamic, full o f vital freedom, tossed by the currents o f many doctrines, that the presence o f Vico is particularly noticeable. His influence on modern Italian jus- philosophers and jurists is pervasive and ubiquitous. It prompts, supports, cautions, confirms, dissuades, warrants, deflects from illusive paths, dispels falsity, orients, mirrors, and multiplies itself in a variety o f kaleidoscopic transformations. Pietro Piovani continues Vico’s tradition at the University o f Naples,59 contributing to it a consummate conceptual virtuosity joined with a superb literary elegance. Vichian substance feeds the grave density o f Capograssi’s thought.60 It inspires Guido Fasso’s researches on the historical and logical genesis o f the Scienza nuova ,61 Ambrosetti’s reflections on rationality and historicity in law,62 Frosini’s meditations on philosophy and jurisprudence;63 it presides over debates concerning the relationships which dogmatics entertains (or should entertain) with other aspects o f the legal prism. Vico is present at the dogged battle that practical jurists and jusphilosophers are fighting over the concept o f jural science, over formalism, over the content, articulations, and purposes o f legal methodology. The renaissance ofjusnaturalism (so characteristic a facet o f postwar European jusphilosophy, especially in Italy and Germany) gives new topicality and freshness to the Vichian dialectic between verum and certum. The impulse Vico had given, in its formative phase, to ethnological jurisprudence, and which, during the late positivistic period (and subsequently), had manifested itself in the complex studies o f Giuseppe Mazzarella,64 propagates its waves into the rich researches o f Fulvio Maroi,65 into the writings o f Evaristo 59 P. Piovani: Normativita e societd (Naples, 1949); Momenti di filosofia giuridico-politica italiana (Milan, 19 51); II significato del principio di efifettivita (Milan, 1953); La filosofia del diritto come scienza filosofica (Milan, 1963); Linee di una filosofia del diritto (Padua, 1964). 60 Capograssi’s major work is IIproblema della scienza del diritto (Milano, 1937). After his death (1956) an edition o f his Opere complete was published by Giuffre (Milan, 1959). See R . Orecchia, “ G. Capograssi: cristiano, filosofo e giurista,” Rivista internazionale di filosofia del diritto, 34 (1957): 40-55; see also the moving re-evocation by P. Piovani, “ Itinerario di G. Capograssi,” Rivista internazionale di filosofia del diritto, 1956, p. 418. 61 G. Fasso: “ Genesi storica e genesi logica della filosofia della Scienza nuova,” Rivista internazionale di filosofia del diritto, 1948, pp. 319-36; I “ qnattro autori” del Vico (Milan: Giuffre, 1949); La storia come esperienza giuridica (Milan: Giuffre, 1953) (in the publica­ tions o f the Seminario giuridico o f the University o f Bologna, vol. 16). 62 Giovanni Ambrosetti, Razionalitd e storicita del diritto (Milan, 1953). 63 V. Frosini: La struttura del diritto (Milan, 1962); “ Genesi ideale e storica della filosofia del diritto nel pensiero vichiano,” Annali del Seminario Giuridico, Universitd di Catania, 1942. 64 G. Mazzarella: G li elementi irriduttibili dei sistemi giuridici (Catania, 1918-20); Studi di etnologia giuridica, 16 vols. (Catania, 1903-30); Les types sociaux et le droit (Paris, 1908); Le unith elementari dei sistemi giuridici (Messina, 1922). 65 F. Maroi, Scrittigiuridici, 2 vols. (Milan: Giuffre, 1956).