Home > Gaetano Filangieri

His father, Caesar, prince of Arianiello, intended him for a military career, which he commenced at the early age of seven, but soon abandoned for the study of the law. At the bar his knowledge and eloquence early secured his success, while his defence of a royal decree reforming abuses in the administration of justice gained him the favor of the king, Charles, afterwards Charles III of Spain, and led to several honourable appointments at court.

The first two books of his great work, La Scienza della legislazione, appeared in 1780. The first book contained an exposition of the rules on which legislation in general ought to proceed, while the second was devoted to economic questions. These two books showed him an ardent reformer, and vehement in denouncing the abuses of his time. He insisted on unlimited free trade, and the abolition of the mediaeval institutions which impeded production and national well-being. Its success was great and immediate not only in Italy, but throughout Europe at large.

In 1783 he married, resigned his appointments at court, and retiring to Cava, devoted himself steadily to the completion of his work. In the same year appeared the third book, relating entirely to the principles of criminal jurisprudence. The suggestion which he made in it as to the need for reform in the Roman Catholic church brought upon him the censure of the ecclesiastical authorities, and it was condemned by the congregation of the Index in 1784. In 1785Events January 1st The first issue of the Daily Universal Register later known as The Times is published in London. January 7 Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries travel from Dover, England to Calais, France in a hydrogen gas balloon he published three additional volumes, making the fourth book of the projected work, and dealing with education and morals.

In 1787Events In Britain, Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp formed the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade with support from John Wesley, Josiah Wedgwood and others. January 11 William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus. Februa he was appointed a member of the supreme treasury council by Ferdinand IVKing Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies ( January 12, 1751 January 4, 1825). He was the third son of King Carlo VII of Naples and Sicily by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony ( November 24, 1724 September 27, 1760). On August 10, 1759, his father became King Ch, but his health, impaired by close study and over-work in his new office, compelled his withdrawal to the country at Vico Equense. He died somewhat suddenly on the 21st of July 1788, having just completed the first part of the fifth book of his Scienza. He left an outline of the remainder of the work, which was to have been completed in six books.

La Scienza della legislazione has gone through many editions, and has been translated into most of the languages of Europe. The best Italian edition is in 8 vols. 8vo. (1807). The Milan edition (1822) contains the Opusculi scelti and a life by Donato Tommasi. A French translation appeared in Paris in 7 vols. 8vo (1786-1798); it was republished in 1822-1824, with the addition of the Opuscies and notes by Benjamin ConstantBenjamin Constant ( October 25, 1767 December 8, 1830) was a Swiss thinker, writer and politician. Constant was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, to descendants of Huguenots. He was educated by private tutors and at the universities at Erlangen and Edinburgh. The Science of Legislation was translated into English by Sir R Clayton (London, 1806).

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911 Britannica