The Judge and the Historian: Marginal Notes on a Late-Twentieth-Century Miscarriage of Justice

Through the lens of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century witchcraft trials, Carlo Ginzburg critiques the flawed case against Adriano Sofri, a prominent figure in the Italian Left. He emphasizes the necessity of intellectual rigor and passion in confronting the political opportunism and dishonesty that characterized the late twentieth century. Ginzburg's exploration reveals the interplay between historical analysis and contemporary political discourse, shedding light on the complexities of justice and ideology.