Benedetto Croce was the author of the most important and original theory of history in the 20th Century His theory was that of absolute historicism', and this necessarily entailed all acute critique of inherited ideas about the Enlightenment This article studies both Croce's theoretical analysis of Enlightenment and [its historical analysis of the Neapolitan Enlightment Croce's interest in the Enlightenment had political as well as philosophical toots All over Europe in the 1920s and 1930s historical and theoretical research was occurring Into in the Age of Enlightenment The broad goal Of such research was to bring forth a new concept of reason. Which would have purchase in the contemporary debate about rationalism and irrationalism This debate, which flourished in the era of totalitatian regimes, raised a series of further questions What was culture? What was the task of culture in the fight against political irrationalism? What was the relationship between culture and the growth of public opinion? With respect to the latter relationship an important role was played by intellectuals, as evinced by the works of Benda, Max Webei and Croce himself The genealogy of the modern intelligentsia led again to Enlightenment In the third part of the article Croce's position on this issue is discussed in the light of his historical researches on Enlightment by reference to his correspondence with two young historians, Delio Cantimori and Franco Venturi (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved
