Abstract

This paper analyzes the concept of modern civilization - «civiltà moderna» - inside the «Ventotene Manifesto» trying to trace its internal movement and to illustrate its logic starting from the intellectual path followed by Ernesto Rossi and Altiero Spinelli. In particular the article identifies in Ventotene's modern civilization a sui generis dialectic «figure» that gives historical meaning to the battle for the European federation outside of any deterministic philosophy of History. From such a stand point it's also interesting to reconsider the meaning of some conceptual and political choices inside the same «Manifesto».