author
Napoleone Colajanni
1847–1921
A physician, writer, criminologist, and politician, he became a leading voice of Sicilian socialism and a sharp critic of colonialism, racism, and the political forces behind the Mafia. His work combined social science with an energetic commitment to democratic reform.
1 Audiobook
Il socialismo
by Napoleone Colajanni
About the author
Born in Castrogiovanni, now Enna, Sicily, he grew up admiring Giuseppe Garibaldi and took part in Garibaldist campaigns before studying medicine. After qualifying as a doctor in 1871, he returned to Sicily, where he practiced medicine, managed sulfur mines, and devoted himself to political writing and sociology.
Colajanni helped shape Italian positivist and evolutionary socialism, publishing Il socialismo in 1884. He challenged Cesare Lombroso’s biological theories of crime, arguing that poverty, education, and social conditions played a far greater role in criminal behavior. He also opposed theories of racial superiority and defended the dignity of southern Italians.
Elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies in 1890, he served continuously until his death in 1921. He supported the Fasci Siciliani, investigated the Banca Romana scandal, opposed Italian colonial expansion, and wrote influential works on the divide between northern and southern Italy and the relationship between the Mafia and political power.