Beccaria e Bacon: una fonte inglese alle origini del Dei delitti?

Abstract

Francis Bacon’s works were a strong influence upon Cesare Beccaria in his formative years, contributing to inform his ideas and style. The chief testimonia are two: the autograph ms. of Excerpta from Bacon in the Ambrosian Library of Milan (Becc. B 201) and the in folio volume of Bacon’s Opera Omnia (Hafniae edition, 1694), which belonged to Beccaria, also held at the Ambrosian (Becc. C 158). This essay retraces the history of the ms, from its first discovery by prof. Amati to subsequent studies, focusing on its relation to the in folio, and on the Beccaria-Bacon relationship at large. Careful attention is placed on the excerpta from the Novum organum: since it was transcribed almost in its entirety, it is of signal interest to examine what omissions were made.