Abstract

Norberto Bobbio was the main promulgator of Kelsen’s thought in Italy. However, his relationship with the great Austrian jurist was neither univocal nor linear. A few phases can be identified in Bobbio’s approach to Kelsen. Retracing these steps allows us to bring into relief Bobbio’s contribution to the fortune of Kelsen in Italy, and his reconsiderations (sometimes critical) of Kelsen’s work. We will see just how important the encounter with Kelsen’s thought was to the development of Bobbio’s own work, including his democratic theory and reflections on peace.