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Darwin Correspondence Project

From G. E. Mengozzi1   17 October 1880

Londres | 56 Brompton Square S. W.

17 Oct. 1880

Illustre Monsieur,

Envoyé a Londres par la Royal et Imperial Accademie “La Scuola Italica” de Rome, pour étudier et savoir plus de prés la Théorie de l’évolution sur la formation naturelle des existences, par Vous doctement annoncé et einsegné.

C’est presque un an que avec satisfaction de mon ésprit j’ai meditée sur la même, et aujourd’hui je suis dans la nécessité de Vous demander ci pour la Votre Théorie réellement Vous intendez trouver vraies les deux opinions des positivistes à la Compte, c’est à dire; l’athéisme et le materialisme d’ôu la matière, être absolu, non celui des ontologes au principe de causalité substituée celui des causes à l’infini, c’est à dire, que la série des causes ne finissant jamais ons à pas lieux à se tranquilliser dans une cause primière.2 L’accademie ci-dessu, à pour son but de soutenir la sapience primitive Italique d’ôu le Teo distingué de l’Ile. Dieu, Être absolu, principe incrée et néccessairement créateur; cause primière des causes secondes.3

Et par la Théorie de l’évolution et par la lutte pour l’existence, justement vos sublimes idées; l’Accademie intende de trouver l’existence d’une intelligence ordonnatrice et prévidente, au lieux de la niér comme les proselytes de Votre Théorie, positivistes fanatiques qui n’entendaient que a faire la guerre au absolu à Dieu, défendu par la saine philosophie que eut le berceau en Italie d’ôu son primat en ordre au pensée et à la vraie science.

Comme ça les honorables savants de la R. I. Accademie, croyent faire honneur à Vos études, et par mon moyen aujourd’hui il se présentaient à Vous désireux d’avoir une reponse au propos pour avoir raison de en faire partécipe le monde scientifique, par Rome. L’avoir nous comprise Votre opinion externée dans Vos derniers ouvrages attribuant aux animeaux les sens non seulement ésthétique, mai aussi le moral jusque au religieux, des simples acts psycologiques rationals dans les formes rudimentales, pouvons nous voir en Vous le plus docte défenseur de l’animation general de la matière, et encore on peut comprendre en Vous le savant qui voit dans la conception de la matière des moderne positivistes, qu’il n’est pas licite de dévorcier par Dieu, par l’ésprit, et non pas admettre l’iminent force qui faite passer toutes les attitude de la substance mondiale par la puissance à l’act, faisand le parcourir sur le chemin ascendental qu’il s’appelle progres cosmique avec intelligence et intentionnalitè. En conclusion, illustre Monsieur, pour Votre Théorie glorieusement objectivée avec Votre nom insigne, par tous les savants de l’Europe, la cause de Dieu et celle de la science, est une!

Veuille Dieu Vous garder longuement en honneur des sciences, que moi avec toute mon ésprit je ne cèsserai jamais d’être | Votre admirateur obsequieux | Comm. Profr. G. E. Mengozzi M.D. | Presidente Eff. Reale ed Imper. Accademia | La Scuola Italica in Roma.

À l’Illustre Monsieur | Charles Darwin M.A., F.R.S. ect. | Down Beckenham Kent

Footnotes

For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I. Mengozzi’s French (not his native tongue) was extremely poor.
Auguste Comte founded the philosophical and political movement known as positivism. He argued that humanity passed through three stages: the theological, the metaphysical, and the positive or scientific (DSB).
Mengozzi belonged to a group that aimed to restore the ancient wisdom of Italy and develop a new nationalistic philosophy based on the teaching of Pythagoras, whom he believed to be Tyrrenian not Greek. To this end, he had founded the Accademia Nazionale, la Scuola Italica in 1860 (Giudice 2016, pp. 90–3). Francis Darwin later wrote on this letter ‘Mengozzi (fool)’.

Bibliography

Giudice, Christian. 2016. Occultism and Traditionalism: Arturo Reghini and the antimodern reaction in early twentieth century Italy. (PhD Dissertation in Literature, History of Ideas and Religion, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.)

Translation

From G. E. Mengozzi1   17 October 1880

London | 56 Brompton Square S.W.

17 Oct. 1880

Illustrious Sir,

Sent to London by the Royal and Imperial Academy “La Scuola Italica” of Rome, to study and more closely understand the theory of evolution concerning the natural development of living beings, as you have learnedly presented and taught it.

It is almost one year since I have meditated on it with satisfaction of mind, and today I am obliged to ask if as regards your theory you really mean to recognise as true the two opinions of Comptian positivists, that is to say; atheism and materialism from which matter, absolute being, not that of ontologists based on causality substituted by that of causes ad infinitum, that is to say, that the series of never ending causes gives no place to be reassured by a first cause.2 The academy here, has as its goal the promotion of early Italian wisdom in which the Teo is distinguished from Ile. God, absolute Being, uncreated principle and necessary creator; first cause of secondary causes.3

And by the theory of evolution and by the struggle for existence, precisely your sublime ideas; the Academy means to find the existence of an organising and provident intelligence, rather than denying it like the converts to your theory, fanatic positivists who understand nothing other than absolute war against God, defended by the sound philosophy that has its cradle in Italy from where its leader in order to thought and real science.

This is how the honorable scholars of the R. I. Academy believe they will honour your studies, and through me today they introduce themselves to you, in the hope of receiving an answer on this as a justification by Rome of having the participation of the scientific world. Are we to understand your view, expressed in your later works, attributing to animals not only an aesthetic but also a moral sense, approaching the religious, simple rational acts in their rudimentary forms, can we see in you, the most learned defender of the general animation of matter, and yet you can be understood as the scholar who sees in the idea of matter of the modern positivists, that it is not lawful to break from God, from the mind, and not allow for the imminent force that passes on the attitudes of the world substance by the power to the action, making the distance on the ascending way that is called cosmic progress with intelligence and deliberateness. In conclusion, illustrious sir, for your theory gloriously objectified with your distinguished name by all the scholars of Europe, the cause of God and that of science are one!

May God keep you long in honour among the sciences, that I with all my heart will never stop being | Your humble admirer | Comm. Profr. G. E. Mengozzi M.D. | Executive President. Royal and Imperial Academy | The Italian School in Rome.

To the famous gentleman | Charles Darwin M.A., F.R.S.  | Down Beckenham Kent

Footnotes

For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see pp. 343–5. Mengozzi’s French (not his native tongue) was extremely poor.
Auguste Comte founded the philosophical and political movement known as positivism. He argued that humanity passed through three stages: the theological, the metaphysical, and the positive or scientific (DSB).
Mengozzi belonged to a group that aimed to restore the ancient wisdom of Italy and develop a new nationalistic philosophy based on the teaching of Pythagoras, whom he believed to be Tyrrenian not Greek. To this end, he had founded the Accademia Nazionale, la Scuola Italica in 1860 (Giudice 2016, pp. 90–3). Francis Darwin later wrote on this letter ‘Mengozzi (fool)’.

Bibliography

Giudice, Christian. 2016. Occultism and Traditionalism: Arturo Reghini and the antimodern reaction in early twentieth century Italy. (PhD Dissertation in Literature, History of Ideas and Religion, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.)

Summary

Asks CD to clarify his religious position.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-12763
From
Giovanni Ettore Mengozzi
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
London, Brompton Square, 56
Source of text
DAR 171: 153
Physical description
ALS 4pp (French)

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12763,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12763.xml

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