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Abstract

The philosophy of life of 82 young Italian males was analyzed in relation to their preferences in politics. The political spectrum from Right to Left was identified by the following continuum of party affiliation: Fascist, Monarchist, Liberal, Christian Democratic, Socialist, Communist, Popular Front Socialist. Statements in a questionnaire organized around personal and social philosophy were then correlated with positions of the young men on this continuum. The results showed clearly that the influence of the Catholic Church in matters of custom and morality is an important source of divisiveness in Italian political life. The Left splits sharply from Center and Right on matters having to do with divorce and sexual freedom; the Center is less exclusively determined by dogma but still is clearly orthodox and conservative, while the Right is dominated by its hatred of Communism and its emphasis on formalism and central authority.

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Personal Values and Political Affiliation Within italy

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