Massimo Fagioli in Siena: 1974-1975

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to reconstruct, also through direct testimonies and unpublished notes by Massimo Fagioli, the theoretical contents of the seminar held by the psychiatrist at the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Humanities and Philosophy in Siena in 1975. The seminar focused on the analysis of Book I of Karl Marx’s Capital. In addition, this article examines, for the first time, the psychoanalytic training group led by Fagioli during the 1974-1975 academic year at the same
faculty. This group served as a preparatory stage for the seminar and, beyond the critique of Freud, explored Marx’s themes of commodity fetishism and religious alienation. Fagioli’s analyses remain relevant within the contemporary cultural landscape shaped by neoliberal economies.