Augusto Vera

Augusto Vera (Amelia, 1813 – Naples, 1885) was an Italian philosopher who became the leading figure of Hegelianism in Italy. He is remembered mainly for spreading Hegel's system across several languages at a time when it was still little known outside Germany.

He was educated in Rome and Paris and, after teaching classics in Geneva, taught philosophy at several French institutions, including the Lycée Victor-Duruy in Mont-de-Marsan, later moving to Strasbourg and Paris. After the coup of 1851 he left France and spent nine years in England. Fluent in French, English and Italian, he published translations and commentaries on Hegel. His writing is valued for clarity and seriousness rather than for original doctrine.

In 1860 he returned to Italy to teach at the Accademia scientifico-letteraria in Milan and, a year later, accepted an invitation from Francesco De Sanctis to the University of Naples. There he focused on the history of philosophy and the philosophy of history, themes reflected in works such as Prolusioni alla Storia della Filosofia and Lezioni sulla Filosofia della Storia. His most significant neo-Hegelian work was carried out with Bertrando Spaventa.

His legacy lies in his role within Italian intellectual history. Some scholars have argued that the Italian Hegelian tradition paved the way for Italian Fascism, a view that remains debated.