At the Periphery of the Rising Empire: the Case of Italy

In Italy, catastrophically come out from the Fascist autarchy – first engaged in the post-war reconstruction and later involved in a massive modernization – the appearance and the diffusion of 'new' machines, that were to change rapidly the world, had peculiar echoes. The essay shows how these 'goods', both real and symbolic – mostly imported from the United States which were building their Empire – could be adapted to the local climate in the 1950s and 1960s. The complex operation was chiefly led by actors who practised sciences and technology, but also some parts of the humanities became curious about automation, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence. Fears and active or passive resistances were inevitable, especially during the 1960s. Everything considered, the events of those two decades give us a picture much more shaded and uncertain in comparison with the well known, sharp opposition of apocalittici and integrati.