Ettore Romagnoli
Minerva e lo scimmione
"Minerva e lo scimmione" by Ettore Romagnoli is a polemical work that blends literary criticism and philosophical discourse, written in the late 19th to early 20th century. The book engages with the field of classical philology, challenging the dominance of German methodologies that Romagnoli perceives as detrimental to Italian culture and intellectual developments. By personifying filology as a “cephalopod” suffocating various cultural disciplines, the author aims to provoke a reconsideration of traditional approaches, advocating for an Italian-centric perspective on literature and history. At the start of the book, Romagnoli presents his concerns about the encroachment of German scholarly methods on Italian education, emphasizing a need for clarity in the often opaque discussions of philology. He highlights a shift in university structures, where traditional subjects like Latin and Greek literature see a proposed transformation into Philology, suggesting a loss of cultural identity. Moreover, he invites readers, particularly those outside the field, to engage with the ongoing debate, promising to reveal the true nature and implications of contemporary philological practices. With a tone that is both confrontational and passionate, Romagnoli seeks to awaken a sense of national pride and intellectual independence.