The article focuses on the sociological approach of Paolo Sylos Labini, describing the analysis of the Italian dualism that covers not only the economic but also the social and civic imbalances between North and South of the country. Text of the speech given at the conference "Paolo Sylos Labini e la politica delle riforme", held at Sapienza University of Rome on 04 December 2015, organized by the Accademia dei Lincei with Economia Civile.