Filippo Turati (1857–1932) was an influential Italian socialist leader, intellectual, and politician. He played a significant role in the development of the socialist movement in Italy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Turati was known for his moderate, reformist approach to socialism, which contrasted with the more radical strategies embraced by some of his contemporaries.
Born in Canzo, Lombardy, Turati studied law at the University of Bologna where he became interested in social and political issues. His early career was marked by his work as a lawyer, journalist, and activist. In 1892, Turati was instrumental in founding the Italian Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Italiano, PSI), becoming one of its foremost leaders.
Throughout his career, Turati advocated for gradual reforms through legal and parliamentary means rather than revolutionary action. He supported workers' rights, social welfare programs, and universal suffrage. His views often placed him at odds with more radical factions within the PSI, such as those led by Benito Mussolini before Mussolini's break from socialism to establish Fascism.
Turati's commitment to parliamentary democracy and reformist socialism made him a critical figure in the opposition to the rise of Fascism in Italy. After the Fascist takeover in 1922, Turati's position became increasingly precarious. He ultimately fled Italy in 1926 due to growing political repression and spent the last years of his life in exile in France, where he continued to advocate for democratic socialism until his death in Paris in 1932.