Apparently still dissatisfied with ecclesiastical life, Genovesi, resigning his post at Salerno, proceeded to Rome, undertook the study of law, and qualified as an advocate. The details of legal practice, however, proved as distasteful as theology, and for some years he gave himself entirely to the study of philosophy, attending most of the distinguished lecturers at the university of Naples. At this place, after having obtained the appointment of extraordinary professor of philosophy, he opened a seminary or private college for students. His reputation as a teacher was increased by the publication in 1743 of the first volume of his Elements of Metaphysics, and in 1745 of his Logic. Both works are imbued with the spirit and principles of the empirical school of philosophy, and the latter, an eminently practical treatise, had long a recognized position as one of the best logical text-books written from the point of view of Locke. On account of the accusations of infidelity and heresy naturally excited by his discussion of metaphysical principles, he had some difficulty . in obtaining the professorship of moral philosophy, and failed to be appointed to the chair of theology; but this did not prevent him from following out his philosophical studies. He published a continuation of his Elements of Metaphysics', but with every new volume he experienced fresh opposition from the partisans of scholastic routine. Among these were Cardinal Spinelli, archbishop of Naples, and an Abbé Magli, whom Genovesi covered with ridicule in his work entitled Lettere ad un Amico Provinciale. In spite of this, Genovesi obtained the approbation of Pope Benedict XIV., of several cardinals, and of most of the learned men of Italy. Of this number was Intieri, a Florentine, who founded at his own expense, in the university of Naples, the first Italian chair of political economy, under three conditions—namely, that the lectures should be in Italian, that Genovesi should be the first professor, and that, after his death, no ecclesiastic should succeed him.

Genovesi commenced his first course of lectures on the 5th of November 1754 with great success,—the novelty and the interest of the subject, and the eloquent style and agreeable manner of the professor, attracting a crowd of auditors. He afterwards published his Lectures on Commerce, and Carey’s Account of the Trade of England, translated into Italian by his brother, with notes by himself. The Lezioni di Commercio is the first complete and systematic work in Italian on the science which Italians have done much to advance. On the whole it is to be included among works of the Mercantile school, but in treatment of fundamental problems, such as labour and money, it is distinguished by fairness and breadth of view. Specially noteworthy are the sections on human wants as foundation of economical theory, on labour as the source of wealth, on personal services as economic factors, and on the united working of the great industrial functions. Gioja’s more important treatise owes much to Genovesi’s lectures.

Till his death in 1769 Genovesi continued his labours at the university of Naples, which owes much of its celebrity to the solidity and excellence of his teaching. It cannot be said that Genovesi takes a high rank in philosophy, but he did much to introduce into Italy the new order of ideas, and his exposition of philosophical doctrines is fair and lucid. His work on Metaphysics, divided into the four rubrics, Ontosophy, Cosmosophy, Theosophy, Psychosophy, distinguished by its solid erudition, is an excellent specimen of the precritical or dogmatic method of handling speculative problems. His merits in political economy have been indicated above. (For list of works see Fabroni’s Lives.)