Paolo Orano
Encyclopedia
Paolo Orano was an Italian
psychologist
and syndicalist
politician and writer who later became a leading figure within the National Fascist Party
.
at the turn of the century. His estrangement from the Socialists began in 1905 when he resigned his position at the newspaper Avanti!
following the dismissal of syndicalist Enrico Leone.
Along with fellow syndicalists Arturo Labriola
and Roberto Michels, as well as nationalist Enrico Corradini
, Orano became part of a group of intellectuals who followed the ideals of Georges Sorel
. To this end he founded his own weekly newspaper, La Lupa, in October 1910. It came to represent the first collaboration between syndicalists like Orano and nationalists like Enrico Corradini
. Benito Mussolini
would later claim that this paper was an influence on his political ideas.
Orano became a strong critic of democracy, seeing it as the cause of Italy's ills and his rhetoric, along with that of fellow syndicalists such as Filippo Corridoni
and Angelo Olivetti, was by 1914 very similar to that coming from the Italian Nationalist Association
. Orano supported the First World War, ostensibly because he hoped that it would strengthen both the bourgeoisie
and proletariat
and thus hasten the process of class conflict
and revolution. However his views caused considerable controversy within the syndicalist movement and helped to bring about its fragmentation as many of those associated with the movement, in particular Leone, were anti-war. By the end of the war his positions were largely indistinguishable from those of the nationalists.
he served as Mussolini's chief of staff, whilst also occupying a seat on the Grand Council of the party. He enjoyed a high profile under the fascist government, serving in the parliament and holding the post of rector of the University of Perugia
.
His most notable contribution to fascism was his anti-semitism
and he was the author in 1937 of the book The Jews in Italy. The book was influenced by Bernard Lazare
in so much as it accepted his thesis that the activities of the Jews
themselves helped to cause anti-semitism, although it made no reference to Lazare's refutations of the prejudice. In the book Orano expressed affection for some individual Jews, notably Ettore Ovazza
, but nonetheless the book helped to legitimise anti-Semitism as a part of Italian fascism
and laid the groundwork for later persecutions. Despite this the non-biological nature of his anti-semitism meant that he did not go far enough for Giovanni Preziosi
, who attacked Orano's work in his journal La Vita Italiana.
Captured in 1944 he was held along with many fellow fascist officials at a prison camp at Padula where he died the following year following complications with a peptic ulcer
haemorrhage.
from a Nietzschean perspective, suggesting that it told people to accept their lot in life and thus solidified hierarchy
in society. Mussolini would later use these arguments about the parallels between the Roman Catholic Church
and the Roman Empire
, and thus common ground between fascism and Catholicism, during his negotiations with Pius XI
, much to horror of the pontiff who considered the very notion heretical.
His 1902 book Psicologica Sociale sought to attack transpersonal psychology
and instead argued in favour of materialism
and inductive reasoning
that took into account the works of Karl Marx
and Charles Darwin
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
psychologist
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and syndicalist
Syndicalism
Syndicalism is a type of economic system proposed as a replacement for capitalism and an alternative to state socialism, which uses federations of collectivised trade unions or industrial unions...
politician and writer who later became a leading figure within the National Fascist Party
National Fascist Party
The National Fascist Party was an Italian political party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of fascism...
.
Syndicalism
Orano began his political career as one of a number of leading syndicalist thinkers associated with the Italian Socialist PartyItalian Socialist Party
The Italian Socialist Party was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy founded in Genoa in 1892.Once the dominant leftist party in Italy, it was eclipsed in status by the Italian Communist Party following World War II...
at the turn of the century. His estrangement from the Socialists began in 1905 when he resigned his position at the newspaper Avanti!
Avanti! (Italian newspaper)
Avanti! is an Italian daily newspaper, born as the official voice of the Italian Socialist Party, published since December 25, 1896. It took its name from its German counterpart Vorwärts.-History:...
following the dismissal of syndicalist Enrico Leone.
Along with fellow syndicalists Arturo Labriola
Arturo Labriola
Arturo Labriola was an Italian revolutionary syndicalist and socialist politician and journalist.-Biography:...
and Roberto Michels, as well as nationalist Enrico Corradini
Enrico Corradini
Enrico Corradini was an Italian novelist, essayist, journalist and nationalist political figure.-Biography:Corradini was born near Montelupo Fiorentino, Tuscany....
, Orano became part of a group of intellectuals who followed the ideals of Georges Sorel
Georges Sorel
Georges Eugène Sorel was a French philosopher and theorist of revolutionary syndicalism. His notion of the power of myth in people's lives inspired Marxists and Fascists. It is, together with his defense of violence, the contribution for which he is most often remembered. Oron J...
. To this end he founded his own weekly newspaper, La Lupa, in October 1910. It came to represent the first collaboration between syndicalists like Orano and nationalists like Enrico Corradini
Enrico Corradini
Enrico Corradini was an Italian novelist, essayist, journalist and nationalist political figure.-Biography:Corradini was born near Montelupo Fiorentino, Tuscany....
. Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
would later claim that this paper was an influence on his political ideas.
Orano became a strong critic of democracy, seeing it as the cause of Italy's ills and his rhetoric, along with that of fellow syndicalists such as Filippo Corridoni
Filippo Corridoni
Filippo Corridoni was an Italian trade unionist and syndicalist....
and Angelo Olivetti, was by 1914 very similar to that coming from the Italian Nationalist Association
Italian Nationalist Association
The Italian Nationalist Association, Associazione Nazionalista Italiana was Italy's first nationalist political party founded in 1910. under the influence of Italian nationalists such as Enrico Corradini and Giovanni Papini...
. Orano supported the First World War, ostensibly because he hoped that it would strengthen both the bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
and proletariat
Proletariat
The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
and thus hasten the process of class conflict
Class conflict
Class conflict is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests between people of different classes....
and revolution. However his views caused considerable controversy within the syndicalist movement and helped to bring about its fragmentation as many of those associated with the movement, in particular Leone, were anti-war. By the end of the war his positions were largely indistinguishable from those of the nationalists.
Fascism
Orano soon moved over to the Fascists and during the March on RomeMarch on Rome
The March on Rome was a march by which Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party came to power in the Kingdom of Italy...
he served as Mussolini's chief of staff, whilst also occupying a seat on the Grand Council of the party. He enjoyed a high profile under the fascist government, serving in the parliament and holding the post of rector of the University of Perugia
University of Perugia
University of Perugia is a public-owned university based in Perugia, Italy. It was founded in 1308, as attested by the Bull issued by Pope Clement V certifying the birth of the Studium Generale....
.
His most notable contribution to fascism was his anti-semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
and he was the author in 1937 of the book The Jews in Italy. The book was influenced by Bernard Lazare
Bernard Lazare
Bernard Lazare was a French Jewish literary critic, political journalist, polemicist, and anarchist. He was also among the first Dreyfusards.-Youth:...
in so much as it accepted his thesis that the activities of the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
themselves helped to cause anti-semitism, although it made no reference to Lazare's refutations of the prejudice. In the book Orano expressed affection for some individual Jews, notably Ettore Ovazza
Ettore Ovazza
Ettore Ovazza was a Jew from Turin who served for a time as a minister in Benito Mussolini's government.-Early life and family:...
, but nonetheless the book helped to legitimise anti-Semitism as a part of Italian fascism
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
and laid the groundwork for later persecutions. Despite this the non-biological nature of his anti-semitism meant that he did not go far enough for Giovanni Preziosi
Giovanni Preziosi
Giovanni Preziosi was an Italian fascist politician noted for his anti-Semitism.- Early career :...
, who attacked Orano's work in his journal La Vita Italiana.
Captured in 1944 he was held along with many fellow fascist officials at a prison camp at Padula where he died the following year following complications with a peptic ulcer
Peptic ulcer
A peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
haemorrhage.
Other writing
As well as his political writing Orano was also noted for his psychological and philosophical work. His 1897 book Cristo e Quirino criticised ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
from a Nietzschean perspective, suggesting that it told people to accept their lot in life and thus solidified hierarchy
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
in society. Mussolini would later use these arguments about the parallels between the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, and thus common ground between fascism and Catholicism, during his negotiations with Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
, much to horror of the pontiff who considered the very notion heretical.
His 1902 book Psicologica Sociale sought to attack transpersonal psychology
Transpersonal psychology
Transpersonal psychology is a form of psychology that studies the transpersonal, self-transcendent or spiritual aspects of the human experience....
and instead argued in favour of materialism
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
and inductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning, also known as induction or inductive logic, is a kind of reasoning that constructs or evaluates propositions that are abstractions of observations. It is commonly construed as a form of reasoning that makes generalizations based on individual instances...
that took into account the works of Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
and Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
.