Abstract

While remembering the humanity and vast culture of Federigo Enriques (founder of "Periodico di Matematiche" and one of the most important mathematicians and cultured men of our century), we would like to point out his formative, ethical, civil and professional model for teachers. We will emphasize the qualities and the essential values of teacher training and the formative, democratic and liberal meaning of science and of its history. Moreover, we will point out the importance of the knowledge of the mental process in training, the pedagogical value of error and of non-sense for the mental training of the teacher and the pedagogical, "platonic" qualities of the teacher as expressed by Enriques, and his criticism of the Gentile school system and his innovative school proposals before his bitter defeat.