L’evoluzione del concetto di «coscienza» in Rosmini
Rosmini Studies July 30, 2026 Martina Galvani
This article examines the evolution of the concept of “conscience” in Antonio Rosmini’s philosophy, from his early work La coscienza pura to later works such as Nuovo saggio sull’origine delle idee, Antropologia in servizio della scienza morale, and Psicologia. In these later works, Rosmini introduces the term “feeling [sentimento]” to describe the subject’s immediate, primitive self-awareness that becomes self-consciousness only through reflection. This feeling constitutes the subject and enables all operations. The author argues that Rosmini’s analysis overcomes boundaries between external and internal experience, as every sensation is accompanied by intellectual judgment. The article compares Rosmini’s thought with contemporary cognitive science’s “phenomenal consciousness.”