A Cosmopolitanism of Nations

by Mazzini, Giuseppe

• ISBN13: 9780691136110
• ISBN10: 0691136114
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-08-17
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

This anthology gathers Giuseppe Mazzini's most important essays on democracy, nation building, and international relations, including some that have never before been translated into English. These neglected writings remind us why Mazzini was one of the most influential political thinkers of the nineteenth century--and why there is still great benefit to be derived from a careful analysis of what he had to say. Mazzini (1805-1872) is best known today as the inspirational leader of the Italian Risorgimento. But, as this book demonstrates, he also made a vital contribution to the development of modern democratic and liberal internationalist thought. In fact, Stefano Recchia and Nadia Urbinati make the case that Mazzini ought to be recognized as the founding figure of what has come to be known as liberal Wilsonianism.The writings collected here show how Mazzini developed a sophisticated theory of democratic nation building--one that illustrates why democracy cannot be successfully imposed through military intervention from the outside. He also speculated, much more explicitly than Immanuel Kant, about how popular participation and self-rule within independent nation-states might result in lasting peace among democracies. In short, Mazzini believed that universal aspirations toward human freedom, equality, and international peace could best be realized through independent nation-states with homegrown democratic institutions. He thus envisioned what one might today call a genuine cosmopolitanism of nations.

Author Biography

Stefano Recchia is a PhD candidate in political science at Columbia University. Nadia Urbinati is the Nell and Herbert M. Singer Professor of Contemporary Civilization and Professor of Political Theory at Columbia.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Introduction Giuseppe Mazzini's International Political Thought	p. 1
Democracy and the Nation: A Republican Creed	p. 31
Manifesto Of Young Italy (1831)	p. 33
On the Superiority of Representative Government (1832)	p. 39
Three Essays on Cosmopolitan Ideals and National Sentiment	p. 53
Humanity and Country (1836)	p. 53
Nationality and Cosmopolitanism (1847)	p. 57
Nationalism and Nationality (1871)	p. 62
In Defense of Democracy: A Reply to Mr. Guizot (1839)	p. 66
On the Duties of Man(1841-60)	p. 80
National Insurrection and Democratic Revolution	p. 109
Rules for the Conduct of Guerrilla Bands (1832)	p. 111
Toward a Holy Alliance of the Peoples (1849)	p. 117
From a Revolutionary Alliance to the United States of Europe(1850)	p. 132
	p. Against the
To the Patriots of Serbia and Hungary (1863)	p. 141
Letter to a Polish Patriot (1863)	p. 143
For a truly National War (1866)	p. 146
Neither pacifism nor terror: Considerations on the Paris Commune and the French National Assembly (1871)	p. 153
International politics, Military Intervention, and a New World Order	p. 167
On Publicity in Foreign Affairs (1835)	p. 169
Foreign Despotism to civilize a people? Italy, Austria, and the pope (1845)	p. 178
The European Question: Foreign Intervention and National self-Determination (1847)	p. 193
On public Opinion and England's International Leadership (1847)	p. 199
Concerning the Fall of the Roman Republic (1849)	p. 208
On Nonintervention (1851)	p. 213
America as a Leading Nation in the Cause of Liberty (1865)	p. 219
To Our Friends in the United States (1865)	p. 222
principles of International Politics (1871)	p. 224
Index	p. 241
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