On September 27th, the Institute of European Studies had the honor of hosting Amedeo Arena, distinguished legal scholar and professor of European Union law at the University of Naples Federico II, to discuss the historical significance of the correspondence between two esteemed political philosophers of their time - Benjamin Franklin and Gaetano Filangieri. The talk was preceded by heartfelt introductions from Patrick Spero - the director of the museum of the American Philosophical Society, Sergio Strozzi - the Italian Consul General in San Francisco, Annamaria di Giorgio - the director of the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco, and Antonio Giordano of the National Italian American Foundation.
Arena opened up the discussion by first noting the connection between UC Berkeley and the University of Naples Federico II - the oldest public universities in the US and Europe respectively - stressing the institutions’ shared values and mission. He proceeded to delve into Filangieri’s noble family origins, early life, and interest in law and political philosophy, which led him to publish his seminal work, The Science of Legislation - subsequently translated into several European languages. He went on to describe how Franklin and Filangieri met while Franklin was in Europe through the introduction of a Neapolitan diplomat, and the mechanics of their roughly six-year correspondence until Filangieri’s untimely death at the tender age of 35.
Filangieri was noted for his belief in the protection of human rights, public education, the environment, increasing trade and economic interdependence between countries, maintaining peace,and above all - his resolute belief in the pursuit of public happiness - which Arena related to the US constitution’s own emphasis on the pursuit of happiness. Arena throughout highlighted the correspondence and mutual admiration between Franklin and Filangeri as arguably symbolizing the beginning of a discourse on shared political values between Italians and Americans which remain strong to the present day. The universalist and constitutionalist themes and scope of Filangieri’s works and the US constitution were noted as being of global relevance to the present day. Filangieri’s emphasis on the pursuit of peace and liberalization of trade were singled out as particularly poignant and relevant given the tense international political atmosphere of the last several years. The talk ended with the news that the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco would soon be host to a temporary exhibition of copies of the letters between Franklin and Filangeri to celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.