Roman Neohumanist Manifesto

It is difficult to accept, but we truly do not understand what is happening around us.

We are overwhelmed by technologies that flood us with information and trapped behind a social and cultural wall that prevents us from clearly seeing the world.

The revolutions of the internet, smartphones, and now artificial intelligence have disrupted our behaviors and created informational chaos that disorients us.

These dynamics have disillusioned and isolated individuals, making them easy prey for a few exploiters who, day after day, increase their power, denying us true freedom and trampling on our very humanity.

From all this arise large-scale economic, political, and military crises, or worse, technological gambles that endanger the entire human existence.

Leveraging the old moral pressures of past communities, they have removed every solid foothold, leaving us adrift, abandoned to ourselves.

But our task is clear: swim with all the strength we have left and, step by step, build a rock, an island, a lighthouse—a safe refuge in this chaos.

And this lighthouse has a name: Rome.

Not Rome the city, but Rome as an idea.

It's time to reclaim the concept of humanitas as a foundational value of society, and rediscover the precious legacy left by Roman culture, often without even being aware of it.

We must free ourselves from the lies and ideological mud that too many have thrown upon this history.

But we must do so without falling into the trap of ethnocentrism or nationalism.

We need to rediscover Rome for what it truly is:

A new model, as its founders imagined and as it was lived day by day by those who purified it from the shadows of their time.

Rome is not fascism.
Those who exploited Rome's image and history to promote fascism have not accounted for the rightful punishment their actions deserve.

Rome is not historical revisionism.
There is no intent to justify the reprehensible acts committed during its existence, only to historically contextualize them.
For example, slavery, widely condemned by certain historians and cultural works, is certainly reprehensible through today's eyes.
At that time, however, very few societies did not rely on slaves, and certainly, slaves in Rome had more rights than elsewhere.

Rome is not reenactment or nostalgia.
No one wishes to return to racing chariots or wearing tunics and sandals. We discuss concepts and values, while still preserving certain identity traits (see "Identity").

Rome is not imperialism.
While asserting the right to statehood and governance over the city of Rome, we have no interest in conquering or occupying territories for economic or political purposes.

Rome is not ethnocentrism.
We do not in any way claim the superiority of Roman culture over others.

We wish for Roman culture to be rightly valued and seen as an alternative to the social and human decline surrounding us.

Roma orma amor.

Rome is a gesture of rebellion against established power, a gesture of love towards those who are human and unashamed of it, an indelible mark in our history and cultures.

Almost two thousand eight hundred years ago, a man, said to be the son of a god, ended his brother's life.

A gesture we today judge as horrible, but with immense symbolic value: Rome was sacred, and no one could mock it, not even someone who shared one's entire life.

Certainly, the perception of the sacred at the time was much more intense and incomprehensible to us, but the sacredness we speak of transcended religious themes.

The foundation of that city was granted by King Numitor of Albalonga as a reward for deposing a despot, usurper, and tyrant named Amulius.

He was precisely the uncle of Romulus and Remus, and had decreed their death alongside their mother, forcibly subjected to a sacred chastity that did not belong to her, later violated by the god Mars.

Rome is therefore a gesture of rebellion against tyranny, against despots who seize power by force.

A rebellion later echoed by Marcus Junius Brutus against the tyranny of Tarquin the Proud, the last king.

And who were the first inhabitants of that city founded on the blood of the unjust? Slaves, exiles, brigands from neighboring cities. Romulus was the initiator of the modern concept of political asylum.

But Rome is not only this

Rome is also respect and acceptance of others' spirituality. From Numa Pompilius onwards, there has always been a moderate openness towards all religions, even the most distant.

But Rome is above all humanitas. The recognition of man as brother, ally, fellow citizen to understand fully, and the recognition of our own humanity.

Rome is justice, represented by efforts to ensure it through a judicial system foundational to the modern one. According to the ancients, humans initially lived without war, disease, or famine, guided by Justice, daughter of Cronus. When humanity degenerated, she fled weeping and sought refuge among the stars.

Rome is universal. It knows no boundaries, neither ideal nor real. It only needs acceptance and adoption of its values.

Publius Terentius Afer was a young Berber slave from Carthage. Senator Terentius Lucanus brought him to Rome, was particularly impressed by his intelligence and beauty, and educated and eventually freed him.

He began writing comedies inspired by the Greek playwright Menander and joined the Circle of the Scipios, where he laid the groundwork for the concept of humanitas.

This phrase summarizes the values that infused his works and were later adopted by the Circle of the Scipios, becoming a cornerstone virtue of Roman citizenship.

The foundations of humanitas already appeared in Menander's concept, known to the Greeks as philanthropy, though their tone was darker and more pessimistic.

Human compassion and empathy merely compensated for the individualistic decline of the polis. An empathy resigned to action only because the gods did not answer—a forced effort.

Terence, however, made it a foundational and necessary value in recognizing the other as an equal, with similar strengths, faults, and limitations.

This concept was later revisited by Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, representatives of Stoicism, which viewed all humans as part of a universal plan meant to collaborate rather than devour one another.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, with the shift in social paradigms, our society has moved towards unprecedented individualism. The destruction of communities described by Ferdinand Tönnies and the progressive dissolution of every solid institution that previously bonded individuals have driven them toward isolation and a heightened individualistic attitude.

Now more than ever, humanity needs humanitas as an alternative to extreme exploitation, commodification, materialism, and realpolitik. We must return to community, to solid and secure interpersonal relationships.

The first step is not to deny our human nature.

The myth of the Nietzschean superman that permeates society can be achieved only in two ways: by overpowering the weak or by becoming part of something greater. Many have taken and intend to take the first route—the easiest, the vilest, the most primitive. It is time to choose the more civilized path.

Those who initiated the liquefaction of society merely shed light on all the harm that ancient communities inflicted on the individual.

Strict rules, often based on tribal beliefs and superstitions, imposed atrocious punishments on anyone who dared to transgress: inquisitions, persecutions, mass slavery. This was the dark face of ancient civilizations.

After the Peace of Westphalia, Thomas Hobbes proposed a drastic solution: individuals should unite under a single and monstrous Leviathan, a state entity with a thousand faces and a single body, capable of crushing every small community with the club of bureaucracy, deeming them barbaric and backward.

Then came the Enlightenment thinkers.

Thanks to them, we emerged from religious obscurantism, but even with good intentions, they began to undermine the foundations of the Church, which, for better or worse, had held society together until then.

The state Leviathan seized the opportunity: it replaced the Church and took on the responsibility of guaranteeing to all what was once the prerogative of religious power — education, work, healthcare.

But with urbanization and the rise of large masses, the state began to lose control.

Thus, dictatorial regimes were born, the last desperate attempt to dominate an increasingly formless and unmanageable mass.

Like a container subjected to too much pressure, those states exploded, and what remained was a multitude of scattered, confused individuals undergoing profound transformations.

The result is the liquid society in which we live today.

The old communities — the school, the family, the neighborhood, the city — have begun to feel restrictive.

The Internet gave us the illusion of new virtual communities, but they proved to be fragile, ephemeral, incapable of replacing real bonds.

So, how do we get out of this?

We must recover the sense of authentic community.

Return to living among others, not behind a screen.

Return to living as humans among humans.

But to do so, it is necessary to also overcome the same constraints that, in the past, led to the dissolution of ancient communities.

We need new social norms, not oppressive but present, capable of serving as a glue, preventing conflicts more effectively than legal codes and contracts alone.

Because a society without authentic bonds is a society already defeated.

We live in a world where everyone makes do with themselves.

But is it really freedom if we feel lonely, lost, and disillusioned?

A true return to community – not the virtual one of chats and likes, but the real one made of glances, outstretched hands, and genuine words – means rebuilding deep connections, creating together, not fighting against each other.

But to do this, we need a foundation: a coexistence ethics, not imposed from above, but chosen because it works.

We do not ask for obedience.

We ask for reflection.

If everyone thinks only of themselves, the strongest will crush the weakest.

And remember: sooner or later, you too will be someone else's weakest.

For years we have been subjected to rules that reeked of control and hypocrisy.

The result? We ended up believing that every rule is a trap.

But there is a big difference between “obeying” and “choosing together the rules so we don't destroy each other”.

It is in this spirit that we look to the values of Rome, to the mores maiorum.

Not out of nostalgia or sterile reenactment, but to recover the beating heart of those values and transform them for the present, as Hegel would say with the term Aufhebung: not to copy the past, but to overcome and renew it.

Trust (Fides)

Rediscovering trust between people, citizens, and institutions is essential.

Giving trust has become a risk that few are willing to take in a society where words have lost their value.

Yet, trust is also a mutual guarantee: both for those who give it and for those who receive it.

Can we start talking about trust again in a world that glorifies competition?

Yes, if competition ceases to be between individuals and becomes between communities against those who insist on dividing.

Respect (Pietas)

Respect, between individuals and between them and the community, is the foundation of any healthy society.

It means accepting others, their political and religious ideas, their choices, and maintaining healthy relationships with family, the community, and the State, as long as they respect us.

It is the foundation upon which trust stands.

It is not about imposing or enduring submission, but about rediscovering a natural and spontaneous respect.

We have moved beyond the Roman concept of pietas tied to the gods, but we can reclaim it as respect towards mankind, towards the unknown, towards the yet undiscovered universe, and towards the world we inhabit.

Justice (Iustitia)

Justice is not just a set of cold and abstract rules.

It is that common sense of what is right that allows us to live in peace and honesty.

It means knowing how to distinguish what harms the individual and the community, and acting accordingly.

We prioritize neither individualism nor collectivism but evaluate each situation according to one principle: support the individual if they are at a disadvantage, and protect the community when it is under threat.

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Are these values really applicable without falling into the trap of personal interests, favoritism, and hypocrisy?

Skepticism is understandable.

But if we start thinking about future generations, if we can look beyond ourselves and rediscover a common goal, then yes: we can overcome any obstacle and, for once, act against the current.

Like our ancestors, we do not reject technology.

On the contrary, we believe it is the tool through which humanity can forge a better future.

However, in recent years, distorted visions have emerged where technology dominates man, even merging with him, creating a cold and emotionless hybrid.

It is no surprise that behind these ideas hide economic interests, ready to sacrifice the destiny of humanity in the name of profit. We firmly oppose this drift.

Technological development must advance, but man must remain its creator and ultimate purpose.

Artificial intelligence and new technologies must be tools at the service of humanity, never the other way around. Even if one day machines were to show a spark of consciousness, they would still remain tools, not ends.

The ultimate goal of innovation must be the liberation of humanity:

• from illness,
• from hardship,
• and above all from work as constraint.

The concept of “negative freedom” developed by Isaiah Berlin, understood as liberation from the constraints imposed by material necessity, must be rediscovered and filled with new meaning: the freedom to live with dignity, without chains.

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We believe that work should be a means of personal fulfillment, not a form of slavery imposed by need.
Therefore:

• We support technological growth that, through artificial intelligence and automation, can free humanity from the most burdensome jobs, guaranteeing a universal income system for fundamental needs.
• We promote the development of cooperative, mutualistic, and participatory economies (Parecon).
• We want automation to support the entire community, without penalizing artisans and artists, custodians of the most authentic expression of the human soul.
• We call for the recognition of educational, artistic, and cultural activities as full expressions of human fulfillment, equal to productive work.

Our goal is clear: discourage idleness, but value the human being.

Not to produce more, but to live better.

We will restore to leisure its noblest value: a fertile space for creation, reflection, and personal growth, as it was in Rome.

• …in the New Renaissance;
• …in the dominion of man over technology;
• …in scientific progress focused on health, energy, education, and space exploration;
• …in the development of a new social model, based on community and trust;
• …in universality;
• …in respect for the environment, for the Earth, and for the universe;
• …in respect for every religious faith or political belief, as long as they respect others;
• …in respect for human beings of any gender, ethnicity, or nationality;
• …in pure Justice, free from formalism and dogma;
• …in social cohesion;
• …in freedom of thought and speech;
• …in personal growth;
• …in the rebirth of a Roman State;
• …in art, in History, and in all the humanities;
• …in the concept of work as a means of personal and social enrichment, not as mere sustenance;
• …in transhumanist movements that share these values;

• …those who glorify market logics, hatred, violence, and domination;
• …those who push competition to the extreme, presenting it as a mechanism for evolution: this only holds true when referring to beings without evolved thought like ours;
• …those who confuse courage and initiative with arrogance;
• …those who, for this reason, commit acts of arrogance in both action and thought, whether towards other humans or the surrounding world;
• …anyone who opposes humanism and humanity;
• …a toxic and unhealthy neopositivism willing to do anything;
• …warmongering policies without justification;
• …the idea of the superman and the last man described by Nietzsche: in fact, we do not resign ourselves to the idea that we cannot improve, nor do we aspire to become superior beings, but we become aware of being human, with our limitations, and in this light we look to the future;
• …all narratives of future paradises and current paradises granted by money;

Why Rome and not something completely new?

Because Rome has been a beacon of civilization for millennia.

The very concept of humanitas, and therefore of humanism, is inseparably linked to its history and legacy.

Rome is the foundation of modern Western societies, a globally recognizable symbol, and still holds universal potential today.

Everywhere, there are groups, artists, scholars, and professionals who draw inspiration from its values and history, as happened in past centuries and — we hope — will continue to happen.

We want to rediscover those values, going beyond aesthetics and simple historical reenactment.

But we do not shy away from calling things by their true names.

We are well aware that the symbols and names associated with the idea of Rome have often been considered outdated or, worse, abused by past regimes and even some current powers.

We could have chosen a different name for these ideas.

But that would have been like hiding the heritage we instead want to claim and revive, without imposing it and without excluding what is new.

Our identity — and let it be clear, this is not nationalism — is founded precisely on the name of Rome, in its dual essence:

• Physical, tied to its history and its places.
• Ideal, as a symbol of timeless universal values.

Alongside this identity stands the acronym S.P.Q.R., with the hope that one day a state and community entity may rise again to embrace the values of this manifesto.
The symbols we associate with these ideas are not mere decorations but carry a profound and original meaning.

• The Imperial Eagle, facing right and double-headed.
• The Capitoline Wolf and the Twins Romulus and Remus.
• The Lion, the Lightning Bolts, the Maniple.

We do not evoke them to reenact the past, but to restore their authentic meaning, that of a civilization that knew how to look far ahead and embrace universality.

This manifesto is not a mere intellectual exercise or a statement of intent. It is a call to action.

It is not enough to understand the decline or criticize the distortions of the present. We must act, build, and propose concrete alternatives.

The Roman Neohumanist action unfolds on several levels:

• Cultural: Promote the rediscovery and appreciation of the Roman heritage and humanitas through studies, debates, events, and artistic and cultural productions. Create spaces for dialogue and the development of critical and constructive thinking.
• Social: Rebuild the community fabric from the ground up, fostering the creation of discussion groups and local and global initiatives that put people and authentic bonds at the center. Support projects that promote the ethics of coexistence and the founding values of the manifesto.
• Educational: Propose educational models that form aware, critical, and responsible citizens, capable of thinking independently and acting for the common good. Pass on to new generations the values of humanitas and the love for knowledge.
• Technological: Support technological development that serves humanity and the community, promoting the ethical and conscious use of new technologies and countering dehumanizing trends.
• Political: Starting again from the idea of community means first of all gathering all individuals who identify with our values into one or more comitia, with the aim of involving everyone and ultimately bringing the instances of Roman Neohumanism to decision-making arenas. This does not necessarily mean founding a party but influencing public debate and political decisions through the strength of ideas and concrete example.

The path is long and complex, but the direction is clear. Every small gesture, every initiative, every person who recognizes themselves in these ideals and decides to act contributes to building that beacon we so desperately need.

Rome is not a nostalgic dream, but a project for the future. A future in which man can truly return to being human.

Sign the Manifesto and support us!

Giuseppe Virzì (c) 2025