Emilio Bodrero at the crossroads of fascism and the crisis of psychology

Emilio Bodrero at the crossroads of fascism and the crisis of psychology Renato Foschi & Andrea Romano, Sapienza Università di Roma Born in 1874, Emilio Bodrero (1874-1949) was an academic and politician known for his nationalist and Catholic ideals, which set him apart from the prevailing positivist currents of the time. Bodrero, who served as the Rector of the University of Padua, was undersecretary of the Italian Ministry of Education and a key figure in the institutional history of psychology and the humanities during fascism. Bodrero had a significant cultural influence during Fascism. He often appeared alongside Mussolini in his speeches from the balcony of Piazza Venezia. We find his figure again at key moments in Italian psychology and pedagogy history. For example, in Padua, he opposed the replacement of Vittorio Benussi for the chair of experimental psychology when Benussi committed suicide in 1927. Bodrero even became president of the Opera Montessori, aiming to fascistize Montessori education and create a Montessori Method without Montessori. Italian psychologists, out of necessity, maintained good relationships with Bodrero. However, understanding his institutional actions during fascism also requires understanding how psychology changed during the fascist era and what truly happened during the crisis of Italian psychology in the early decades of the 20th century. With the fall of fascism, Bodrero was removed from both political and academic life, and there was a kind of oblivion of memory about him. Very few papers on the history of Italian philosophy and psychology have dealt with his biography and role in the fascist era. This paper also delves into the Emilio Bodrero Fund within the “Archivi di famiglie e persone” at the Central State Archive of Rome, focusing on the correspondence between Bodrero and prominent Italian psy scientists, spanning from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Despite his antipositivist stance, Bodrero engaged in correspondence with scientists whose work aligned more closely with positivism, indicating a complex interplay of intellectual exchange and ideological divergence. The archival research reveals Bodrero’s interactions with figures such as Vittorio Benussi, Ugo Cerletti, Luigi Credaro, Sante De Sanctis, Francesco De Sarlo, Agostino Gemelli, Mario Montessori, Cesare Musatti, Alfredo Niceforo, and Scipio Sighele and shed light on the nature of these relationships and the underlying motivations for the epistolary exchanges. Through a detailed analysis of the letters, Bodrero’s evolving relationships with these scientists were enlightened, ranging from initial alliances based on shared nationalist sentiments to later interactions marked by power dynamics and the need for protection in the face of adversity. The presentation also examines Bodrero’s significant roles in academia and politics, including his tenure as rector of the University of Padua and his involvement in the fascist regime’s educational reforms. Bodrero’s influence extended beyond academia, as evidenced by his contentious presidency of the Montessori Opera, which ultimately led to a rupture with Maria Montessori herself. Overall, this study offers insights into the intersections of politics, ideology, and science in early 20th-century Italy, highlighting Bodrero’s multifaceted role as a participant within this complex landscape. Bibliography Antonelli, M. (2018). Vittorio Benussi in the History of Psychology. New Ideas of a Century Ago. Springer. Antonelli, M., & Molaro, A. (Eds.). (2024). Cesare Musatti intellettuale del Novecento. Raffaello Cortina. Cimino, G., & Foschi, R. (2012). Italy. In D. Backer (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the History of Psychology. Global Perspectives (307-346). Oxford University Press. De Felice, R. (1965). Mussolini il rivoluzionario (1883–1920). Einaudi. De Felice, R. (1974). Mussolini il fascista. La conquista del potere, 1921–1925. Einaudi. De Felice, R. (1995). Mussolini il duce. Lo Stato totalitario, 1936–1940. Einaudi. Foschi, R. (2012). Maria Montessori. Ediesse. Foschi, R., Cicciola, E. (2019). La leggenda nera di Maria Montessori. Considerazioni storiografiche. In R. Foschi, E. Moretti & P. Trabalzini (Eds.) Il destino di Maria Montessori. Promozioni, rielaborazioni, censure, opposizioni al Metodo (pp. 115-149). Fefè. Foschi, R., & Romano, A. (2022). Rewriting Wundtian Psychology: Luigi Credaro and the Psychology in Rome. History of psychology,25(4), 342-366. Lombardo, G. P. (2014). Storia e “crisi” della psicologia scientifica in Italia. Milano. Led. Lombardo, G.P. (2016). Appunti di storia della psicologia padovana: la morte di Benussi e il problema della successione alla sua cattedra. Giornale Italiano di Psicologia, 43(4), 895- 907. Reichmann, R. (1997). Cesare Musatti, Psicoanalista. Arpa Edizioni. Rigobello, A. (1969). Emilio Bodrero. Dizionario biografico degli italiani, vol 11. Treccani.