In the present paper, we intend to examine the democratization process of 19th century Greece and Italy through the role played by the Faculties of Law in the countries under question. This does not constitute an institutional history of the faculties of Law stricto sensu, but an attempt to study ...
(Show more)In the present paper, we intend to examine the democratization process of 19th century Greece and Italy through the role played by the Faculties of Law in the countries under question. This does not constitute an institutional history of the faculties of Law stricto sensu, but an attempt to study the social, political and cultural role of the Law departments and of the university in general in the state building. The work is focused on the social recruitment of the professors, meaning their social and cultural origins (social and cultural capital); based on a prosopographic approach (‘bilan prosopographique’) as proposed by Christophe Charle , we examine the requirements, typical (academic merit) but also atypical (economic, familial, societal relations) for the adhesion in this branch of the modern elites
Moreover, we have relied extensively on the use of the notion ‘cultural transfers’ (transferts culturelles ) to designate the development of the University (privileging the faculty of Law) but also of the scientific paradigms prevalent in each period.
The main part of historiography until today has focused on the national or social role of the University. It has been viewed either as the main agent of promoting the national ideas or as the main producer of the bureaucratic strata. But these approaches identify the objectives of the University with the visions of the state, lacking severe historical perspective. It is usually the official discourses that are taken into consideration neglecting the actual function of the University and the actions of its professors. However, the discourse, the actions and the networks of the professors can challenge this static view of the University. The debates within the academic ranks, the European networks of the professors, the creation by the members of the University of institutionally autonomous literate and scientific associations, the role of the University in the major political changes in 19th century Greece and Italy, all these are signs of the rising importance of the ‘universitaire’, transcending the national frontiers especially after the first half of the 19th century .
Three intersecting issues derive from this perspective: first, the significance of the university professors in the formation and in the composition of the intellectual elites of the new states. During the second half of the 19th century there was a substantial proliferation of the intellectual networks all around Europe: could we explain the social and cultural advancement of Greece and Italy by focusing in the growing political and social discourse of the intellectuals and especially through their participation in the European networks of late 19th century?
The second question is about the position of the intellectual elites produced by the university in the social structure of the countries. Could we speak in the case of Greece and Italy for a Bildungsburgertum following the German pattern, or this intellectual bourgeoisie had more affiliations either with the economic bourgeoisie, extremely important in the kingdom especially after 1870 or with the ‘state ruling elite’ ?
The third issue engages in a comparative approach, as it concerns the different options for the development of the Law in Greece and Italy as reflected in the major discussions for the adoption of democratic constitutional changes in both countries.
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