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[–]Rakean93Identitarian socialist 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

last month I had to publish an article I've been working on since last December about the Counter-Reformation. The article underwent a preliminary censorship in which I was forced to remove all definite articles, which in my language are gendered. Subsequently I presented the work at a conference, after which I was asked to eliminate all references to a possible anti-imperialist role played by the very first Roman inquisition during the affirmation of Spanish hegemony. Only at this point was the article accepted. I doubt that an Identitarian state would impose greater constraints on my freedom of scientific research.

Edit: i just read that you said "i think we don't want to talk about ourselves". Honestly i'm not that much concerned, my political affiliation is not illegal nor obscure. In any case, returning to general arguments: the absolute majority of Italian intellectuals, even anti-fascists, continued their activity normally during fascism. Benedetto Croce was even allowed to become the international voice of anti-fascism. The only one who perhaps suffered unfair treatment was Gramsci, who was imprisoned, although the Duce personally ensured that he was treated with every respect. But Gramsci was virulently opposed to the regime, and frankly, the American McCarthyists, exponents of liberal democracy, have done worse.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Yes - there is a tyranny of the left in academia, which is exhausting. I am curious about this anti-imperialist aspect of the first Roman inquisition, though perhsps should not continue to bother you. Another word we're also to use now for the Counter-Reformation is: Catholic Reformation.

[–]Rakean93Identitarian socialist 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

In Italy the category of Catholic Reformation was cancelled a few years ago. That's mainly because it's considered an apologetic term from the Jedin's school, and also because Massimo Firpo, the most important scholar in the field, personally hates it. Other terms like "early modern catholicism" are also despised because they're linked to the anglosaxon historiography, which is reguarded to be too much neutral about the role of the Church. About the anti-imperialist role of the inquisition, isn't even new: you can find some early references in "Gui, La Riforma nei circoli nobiliari, Cinquant'anni di storiografia italiana sulla riforma, Claudiana, Torino, pp. 115-116".

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

It's interesting that Massimo Firpo and Francesco Gui still support these approaches, in light of a much greater trend in academia to offer global courses that address early modern European expansion/imperialist ambitions and the associated post-colonial concerns. I recall that Luigi Firpo's work is still used in early modern syllabi reading lists. I had also thought M. Firpo and F. Gui had retired, or were close to retirement.

Trends in approaches to European expansion are currently led by Sanjay Subrahmanyam and similar scholars who've provided alternative assessments to the traditional Eurocentric global history. To see for example Goa initially (1510-1640) as the "Rome of the East" is one of those Jesuit proposals that agreed with Portuguese interests to trade with India, and 16th century HRE interests to exploit the New World, African and Eastern territories for goods and materials. These developments are traditionally read as imperialist, though I would think financial interests were much more important than we might read in Jesuit discourses or in developments of statecraft. Not that I have much to say about any of this, but I'll think more about this anti-imperialist role that you mention, as this may help refocus (or the new word: re-hyphenate) attention away from traditional imperialist arguments.