Aldo Capitini
| Aldo Capitini | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 23 December 1899 Perugia |
| Died |
19 October 1968 (aged 68) Perugia |
| Era | 20th century |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School |
Nonviolence Social Catholicism Social liberalism Laicism |
Aldo Capitini (23 December 1899 – 19 October 1968) was an Italian philosopher, poet, political activist, anti-Fascist and educator. He was one of the first Italians to take up and develop Mahatma Gandhi's theories of nonviolence and was known as "the Italian Gandhi".
Capitini was born in Perugia in 1899. His father was a municipal official and his mother a tailor. From an early age Capitini became interested in philosophy and literature. Until the age of 17 years he was interested in the Futurism and nationalists who supported intervention of Italy in World War I. From 1918–1919 he abandoned modernism and nationalism for humanitarian, pacifist and socialist causes. He was committed to the study of the Latin language and Greek literature.
Capitini was physically fragile and fell ill, discovering solidarity with those who suffered "the last". A long illness in his youth led to his religious conversion and the radical change of his political views. Of this period he said, "During World War I was a teenager, but I followed the tragedy of humanity. ... Moreover, I suffered a long painful illness and was unable to work. Thus, I understood the limitations of my activist culture in the fibres of my being, which gave paramount value to action, to violence, and to enjoyment, and I felt a deep interest in, and solidarity with, the problems of those who suffer, those who cannot act, and those who are overwhelmed. I would need to envisage a reality where suffering people were perfectly well, and not thrown on the edge of civilization, waiting for death and nothingness. This is how my religious search really started".
In 1919 he acquired the Technical Institute diploma, then, in 1924, he enrolled into the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, completing his master's degree in Philosophy in 1928.
His encounter with Gandhi's nonviolence in the late 1920s defined his style and methods of action. He became a follower of Gandhi's nonviolence and a vegetarian.
Capitini's religious conversion did not follow the traditional course, which he eventually abandoned when the Catholic Church signed the Lateran Treaty with the Fascist dictatorship in 1929. This made Catholicism the state religion and strengthened the prestige and power of Mussolini, with the Catholic Church becoming an indirect support to his government. As a result, Capitini significantly disassociated with the Catholic Church and became even more committed to his anti-fascist activities. From then on, Capitini tried to promote the reform of religion (starting from the Catholic, expanding to other denominations), with the aim of religion focussing on persons and their needs. He proposed that all religions should go beyond their dogmatism and their authoritarian structure to be at the service of marginalized people and those who had no voice in society.
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