Paolo Balsamo, Smithianism and the Birth of Liberalism in Sicily

Abstract

The article focuses on the transition process of Sicily, between the end of 18th century and the beginning of 19th, from the Ancien Regime to a modern society, underlining the intellectual and political role of the Sicilian economist Paolo Balsamo. The professor of Agriculture and Economics at University of Palermo founded the Sicilian liberalism on Adam Smith’s works and tried to reform the institutions of the island aiming to make them the model of a Smithian nation. The article analyses Balsamo’s work by highlighting the interlacement of culture, social interests and political emergencies, all of which had an effect on how Smithianism was adopted in Sicily.