RAIMONDO CUBEDDU

Strauss in Italia

211

Gennaio-Aprile 2006

Anno LXXI    n. 1

Summary - This article is the considerably extended version of a paper originally presented at the Conference “Leo Strauss: l’uomo, il suo pensiero e la politica globale contemporanea” (‘Leo Strauss: the man, his thinking, and contemporary global politics’, Centro Studi Americani, Rome, May 24-25, 2005). It presents a survey of Leo Strauss’ receptionin Italian philosophical and political culture, particularly focusing on the increasing interest in his thinking. In the first part, the earliest (and in some cases definitely negative) articles and commentaries of the fifties are taken under consideration, by authors such as Norberto Bobbio, Francesco Carnelutti, Mario Corsi, Bruno Leoni, Francesco Mercadante, Arnaldo Momigliano, Pietro Piovani, and Pietro Rossi, at the aim to explain why Strauss’ political philosophy was not able to arouse interest enough until the eighties. Following a similar path, in the second part I try to explain the reasons of this later shifting of interest by me ans analyzing some of the most significant writings of the period. The considered works, articles and reviews end up by giving a detailed evidence concerning the Italian interpretations of Strauss’ thinking, and the publishing success of his works, an issue on which Francesco Mercadante’s Appendix specifically focuses.