GIORGIO LUNGHINI e RENATA TARGETTI LENTI

Di Fenizio e l'economia politica di Keynes

N. 203

Summary - This article analyses the contribution of di Fenizio to the introduction of Keynesian thought into Italy. di Fenizio's work is discussed within the historical context of the prevalent economic doctrines of the time. This comparison shows how Italy's acclimatizing to Keynes's thought was a long and laborious process. This can be explained, on the one hand, by the familiarity of Italian economists with the theory of general economic equilibrium, and on the other hand, by the reserve expressed by some authoritative Italians (Einaudi, Bresciani Turroni, Papi, Demaria) regarding the explicative potential of the Keynesian model. The article covers the academic and civil experience of Ferdinando di Fenizio (1906-1974) during the 1930s and 1940s. It is emphasized that his entry into the Milan environment (at the Bocconi University and at the research departments of Comit and Montedison) contributed to bringing about what was to be a constant feature of his research activity; the close attention to facts, empirical verification, the relevance of theory in the explanation of economic phenomena and in policy formation (participation in the preparation of the political economy documents in the 1950s, the foundation of numerous institutions, like the ISCO, the newspaper "24 Ore" , and the bi-weekly "Mondo Economico" ). His Editorship of "L'industria" was central to his diffusion of Keynes's teaching from the beginning of the post-war period, and contributed significantly to the progress of economic studies in Italy.