A Cosmopolitanism of Nations (ebook)

Argumento de A Cosmopolitanism of Nations (ebook)

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.0Preface vii
Introduction
Giuseppe Mazzini's International Political Thought 1

Part One: Democracy and the Nation: A Republican Creed 31
Chapter One: Manifesto of Young Italy (1831) 33
Chapter Two: On the Superiority of Representative Government (1832) 39
Chapter Three: Three Essays on Cosmopolitan Ideals and National Sentiment 53
I. Humanity and Country (1836) 53
II. Nationality and Cosmopolitanism (1847) 57
III. Nationalism and Nationality (1871) 62
Chapter Four: In Defense of Democracy: A Reply to Mr. Guizot (1839) 66
Chapter Five: On the Duties of Man (1841-60) 80

Part Two: National Insurrection and Democratic Revolution 109
Chapter Six: Rules for the Conduct of Guerrilla Bands (1832) 111
Chapter Seven: Toward a Holy Alliance of the Peoples (1849) 117
Chapter Eight: From a Revolutionary Alliance to the United States of Europe (1850) 132
Chapter Nine: Against the Foreign Imposition of Domestic Institutions (1851) 136
Chapter Ten: To the Patriots of Serbia and Hungary (1863) 141
Chapter Eleven: Letter to a Polish Patriot (1863) 143
Chapter Twelve: For a Truly National War (1866) 146
Chapter Thirteen: Neither Pacifism nor Terror: Considerations on the Paris Commune and the French National Assembly (1871) 153

Part Three: International Politics, Military Intervention, and a New World Order 167
Chapter Fourteen: On Publicity in Foreign Affairs (1835) 169
Chapter Fifteen: Foreign Despotism to Civilize a People? Italy, Austria, and the Pope (1845) 178
Chapter Sixteen: The European Question: Foreign Intervention and National Self-Determination (1847) 193
Chapter Seventeen: On Public Opinion and England's International Leadership (1847) 199
Chapter Eighteen: Concerning the Fall of the Roman Republic (1849) 208
Chapter Nineteen: On Nonintervention (1851) 213
Chapter Twenty: America as a Leading Nation in the Cause of Liberty (1865) 219
Chapter Twenty-One: To Our Friends in the United States (1865) 222
Chapter Twenty-Two: Principles of International Politics (1871) 224
Index 241