Genovesi Antonio

Genovesi Antonio, an Italian metaphysician, was born at Castiglione Nov. 1,1712. He studied theology at Salerno, and was ordained priest in 1736. He lectured on philosophy at Naples with great reputation for some time, but at length he was attacked by numerous enemies for publishing his metaphysics, in which he recommended the works of Galileo, Grotius, and Newton. He was protected by the archbishop of Tarentum, and by the king of Naples, who made him professor of moral philosophy, and even of theology, in the Neapolitan university. In 1754 the chair of political economy was founded for him, and he continued to teach this science until his death in 1769. He was the author of Elementa Metaphysicae (Naples, 1744, et sq., 5 volumes, 8vo): — Element. art. logico-criticae (1745, 8vo). In these books he followed D'Alembert and Helvetius. He published also Elementa Theologiae (Naples, 1751), which caused him to be interdicted by the Church from teaching theology. A historical eulogy of Genovesi was published by Galanti (Venice, 1774, 8vo). — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 19:932.