Recent Crocean Encounters Outside Italy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6093/1593-7178/2161Keywords:
Croce, Sternhell, Hayden White, Political-Cultural FrameworkAbstract
Reference to Croce in English-language discussion remains infrequent, but three recent cases prove instructive. Even as they restore Croce to currency, however, Zeev Sternhell, a major Israeli intellectual, and Herman Paul and Rik Peters, two younger Dutch scholars, end up reinforcing the tendency to denigrate Croce in the English-speaking world. In showing where each goes wrong, the present article seeks to deepen our understanding of Croce's continuing relevance. Placed against Sternhell, Croce shows the value of an ongoing critical assessment of the Enlightenment tradition. Placed against Paul, Croce shows the scope for a presentist and constructivist understanding of historiography that usefully opposes Hayden White's. And in light of Peters, who prefers a mundane actualism, we better grasp what Croce can contribute to the ongoing quest for a moderate political-cultural framework.