Il positivismo pedagogico a Pavia e Saverio Faustino De Dominicis

Abstract

A leading figure in Italian pedagogical positivism in general, and in its evolutionist current in particular, Faustino Saverio De Dominicis (1845-1930) taught for almost 40 years (1881-1920) at the Pavia university. This work aims at recounting the history and the meaning of his teaching, considering also his minority role as the representative of a current of thought in the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities (also considering his relationship with Carlo Cantoni’s
Neokantian school which instead was hegemonic in the same university), as well as the gradual evolution of his thought and career towards the idea of pedagogy as “applied scientific philosophy” (the testing ground of “positive philosophy”) or science-action of education.