Croce, Benedetto << KRAW cheh, beh neh DEHT taw >> (1866-1952), was probably the most distinguished Italian philosopher of the 1900’s. He believed in two kinds of knowledge—knowledge that comes from understanding and knowledge obtained from the imagination. According to Croce’s philosophy, imagination rules art. Art does not attempt to classify objects as a science does, but only feels and presents them.
Croce helped revive interest in the work of the Italian thinker Giambiattista Vico. He also influenced the reassessment of the ideas of the German philosopher G. W. F. Hegel. Croce founded and edited La Critica, a journal of literature, philosophy, and history. His books include Aesthetic (1902), Philosophy of the Practical (1908), Logic (1909), and History as the Story of Liberty (1938).
Croce was born on Feb. 25, 1866, in Pescasseroli, Italy. He was appointed to the Italian Senate in 1910. Croce helped reform Italian schools in the 1920’s. He was an opponent of the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini and was a leader in liberal intellectual circles in Italy. Croce died on Nov. 20, 1952.
