Il “personalismo liberale” di Antonio Rosmini: interpretazioni e motivi di attualità

This paper deals with Antonio Rosmini’s foundation of a “liberal personalism.” Rosmini’s philosophy of person is a philosophy of freedom with deep metaphysical, ethical and political connections. In his thought it is central the definition of human person as “subsistent right and very essence of right.” Rosmini’s view of “person”, seen as an inviolable end which can never be reduced to the status of “means”, leads spontaneously to what today is seen as paramount in human existence, that is, the question of human rights. In this paper, I underline the reasons for the actuality of this philosophy based on the concepts of person and liberty: in particular, I put in evidence as some great philosophers of the 20th century, like Michele Federico Sciacca, Giuseppe Capograssi and Augusto Del Noce, elaborated the fundamental ideas of Rosmini on the ontological dignity of the human person. Departing from Rosmini they criticized the totalitarianism and they proposed a political liberalism founded on the respect of the constitutive liberties of person.