Antonio Genovesi. General Features of His Philosophical and Economic Thought

Abstract

This paper aims to sketch the original role played by Antonio Genovesi (1713-1769) in the philosophical background of the Modern Age, referring particularly to the birth and the first development of Economic science. In the first two paragraphs his biography and bibliography are shortly revisited, focusing on the cultural background of Naples where he lived, studied and taught Philosophy, Theology, Ethics and Economy. Furthermore we focus on some main themes of Genovesi’s thought, in particular: the relationship between the human being, the world and God. Finally we outline a short insight on his proposal of “Civil Economy”.