The New Mazzinian FAQs

What is The New Mazzinian?

The New Mazzinian is a website dedicated to exploring and reviving the political thought of Giuseppe Mazzini, and to updating it for the challenges of modern politics.

It has three main goals:

1. Raise awareness of Mazzini's life and ideas among readers who may never have encountered them

2. Revive and develop his political philosophy for today's context, showing how his thinking on duty, nationality, democracy, and economics can offer practical and moral answers to contemporary problems.

3. Lay the intellectual groundwork for a broader Mazzinian movement in Europe and beyond.

Alongside the material on Mazzini himself, the site publishes essays and blog posts covering current political events, philosophy, economics, and geopolitics from a broadly Mazzinian perspective. The name is a deliberate successor to an earlier blog, The Young Mazzinian, which ran from 2016. The New Mazzinian was launched in 2025.

Who runs The New Mazzinian?

The New Mazzinian is currently run by David Tait who its sole editor and contributor. All content on the website has been researched and written by him.

What is Mazzinianism?

Mazzinianism is a political doctrine built on the thought of Giuseppe Mazzini. At its core is the concept of democratic nationality: the belief that the nation is not an end in itself, as in conventional nationalism, but a means through which individuals can best contribute to the progress of humanity as a whole. The nation, in this view, is the practical bridge between the individual and the wider world.

Beyond that central idea, Mazzinianism holds that individual rights and individual duties are inseparable, and that a politics focused only on rights will always fall short. It champions democracy as the only legitimate form of government, takes a mixed-economy approach that emphasizes both individual initiative and social responsibility, and holds that free nations have a principled obligation to stand with others fighting for their own freedom.

In today's political terms, it sits on what might be called the radical center: neither conventionally left nor right, but drawing on both in a way that Mazzini himself would have recognized as necessary.

Where can I follow The New Mazzinian?

The best way to stay updated with new essays and blog posts is to subscribe on Substack, where posts are delivered directly to your inbox.

The site is also on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, X/Twitter, and Bluesky. For questions, comments, or corrections, the author can be reached directly by email.

Is The New Mazzinian affiliated with any official Mazzinian organizations?

The New Mazzinian is not affiliated with any of the official Mazzinian organizations. The perspectives, presentation and analysis of Mazzini’s life and thought is purely that of The New Mazzinian and, despite aiming to be as objective as possible, is not currently reviewed by any official body that promotes Mazzini’s work.

It also should be noted that the goal of The New Mazzinian is not just to present Mazzini, but also update his thought for today and therefore has its own interpretations.

Here is a list of the formal Mazzinian organizations in Italy and outside if you are interested in learning from them as well:

• Museo del Risorgimento - Istituto Mazziniano: Located in Mazzini's birthplace in Genoa, the Istituto Mazziniano is considered the most important institution in Italy for studies on the democratic republican movement inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini. Museums of Genoa Its collections span from the 1746 Genoese uprising against the Austrians through to the Second World War, encompassing documents, paintings, uniforms, photographs, and personal artefacts.

• Associazione Mazziniana Italiana: Founded in 1943 by prominent figures of the anti-fascist movement, the Associazione Mazziniana Italiana is a free association dedicated to promoting the principles of moral, political, and social emancipation championed by Giuseppe Mazzini. It pursues this mission through its periodical Il Pensiero Mazziniano, as well as conferences, seminars, and other cultural activities that connect Mazzinian republican thought to contemporary political and moral questions. It is based in Italy.

• The Mazzinian Society (Defunct): The Mazzini Society was an anti-fascist political association, founded in the United States in 1939 by Italian political refugees—including historian Gaetano Salvemini—and grounded in the democratic and republican traditions of the Risorgimento. It worked to rally opposition to Mussolini's regime from abroad, organized Italian-American anti-fascist networks across the Americas, and advocated for a free, democratic Italian republic after the war.

Is The New Mazzinian backed by any organization?

The New Mazzinian is not currently backed by any educational, periodical or financial institution. Everything on the site is independent and the sole views of the founder.

Is The New Mazzinian open to collaboration?

Yes, The New Mazzinian would be interested in any collaborating with anyone who is interested in either publishing an article, doing an interview, working on a joint project together, guest posting, or having a debate/conversation about related topics.

Topics regarding international affairs and global democracy would be preferable, but anything related to politics or philosophy would be interesting too.

If you are interested, please contact david@thenewmazzinian.com or reach out on social media.

Is The New Mazzinian open to criticism, corrections or feedback?

Yes, if you discover any factual or historical errors on the site, please contact david@thenewmazzinian.com highlighting the error and the correction. Feedback on ways to improve or better organize the site is always welcome.