Scienze umane e pratica di democrazia. Da Maria Montessori a Franco Basaglia

This paper reflects on the life-giving quality of freedom and underlines it's critical role in covertly connecting diverse yet significant chapters of the history of human sciences, e.g. the "remote realationship" existing between Montessori and Basaglia. these two intellectuals live and work in different historical periods, nonetheless they are close in content and spirit. Both represent milestones in the comprehension of the human being as an epistemological and revolutionary potential, driving force towards humanistic and democratic pratices. Montessori and Basaglia follow diverse cultural and scientific itineraries but present similar thoughts. both start from a standpoint of radical critique of ground principles of their field of study. As a result they revisit the roots of human sciences: the concern for humanity. Their itinerary can thus be regarded as emblematic of yhe approach anti-reductionist and anti-absolute knowledge, constantly re-constructed and re-trasformed