Antonio Rosmini Serbati, who was born at Rovereto in the Italian Tyrol, in 1797, was well equipped in spirit to make a good use of the advantages which fell to him as the son of a noble family and heir to a large estate. From the period of youth the zeal and devotion of his serious nature were given to religion and philosophy. Among the standing memorials of his service to the former is the Institute of the Brethren of Charity. His ambition to promote the latter is attested by a group of writings which vies in bulk with the contributions of the most prolific of modern philosophers.