Tommaso Campanella became famous thanks to his concept of communist utopia. This was one of the first experiences in developing a social transformation program based on community of property. For his heretical views, Campanella was repeatedly harassed by the church.
Campanella: the beginning of the journey
The Italian philosopher Campanella (1568 - 1639) was the son of a poor cobbler. He was born in the small Italian village of Stepiano. At baptism, his father called him Giovanni Domenico. The boy learned to read and write very early. Already at the age of fourteen, he was fascinated by the eloquence of a Dominican preacher who spoke about the sacred traditions of the Order of St. Dominic and the famous Thomas Aquinas. The future philosopher decides to go to the monastery.
Entering the Order of Dominicans in 1582, the young man adopted the name Tommaso. He is engaged in his education, studies the Bible diligently, delves into the works of Greek and Arabic interpreters of the teachings of the great Aristotle.
The true revolution in the views of Tommaso was made by the work of the Italian scientist Bernardino Telezio, which told about the nature of things. This book was a revelation for the young man. The main thing that Campanella has learned: only experience can be a criterion of truth.
In those days, the Dominicans fought with the Jesuit Order created by Ignatius Loyola. The glory of the enemy order overshadowed other spiritual fraternities. In the fight against competitors, Tommaso’s accumulated abilities for sciences, as well as his early speaker talent, were just useful.
Campanella was fascinated by disputes, in which he managed for several years to win victories over rivals.
Great heretic
A little later, Tommaso met with the Jewish sage Abraham, who taught him how to compose horoscopes. A great fate was predicted for the beginning Dominican: he was to become a "bell foreshadowing a new dawn."
Encouraged by the prediction, Tommaso creates a critical essay debunking religious dogma. Campanella was persecuted for this book - he was persecuted by the "holy church".
Campanella spent about a year in the dank and gloomy basements of the Inquisition. He was able to free himself only thanks to the help of influential friends. However, this was not the last acquaintance of the philosopher with the Inquisition. In total, Campanella spent 27 years in prison.
