MY MOST FOND GRATITUDE GOES TO GIANNI VATTIMO for having encouraged this research from the beginning. Without his wisdom, cordiality, and education, I would not have had the ability to find my way through this work. Teachers, colleagues, and friends such as Floriano von Arx, Pablo Cardoso, Manuel Cruz, Carmelo Dotolo, Robert Fellman, Rino Fisichella, Jean Grondin, Michael Haskell, Philip Larrey, Antonio Livi, Wendy Lochner, Ana Messuti, Richard Palmer, Mauro Piola, Jeffrey W. Robbins, Richard Rorty, Thomas Sheehan, and Ugo Ugazio provided comments and suggestions that were essential and without which this book would never have seen the light of day.