The paradox of the Mazzinian genealogies of ‘liberal nationalism’

The notion of 'liberal nationalism,' popularized by Yael Tamir, has become a mainstay of nationalism studies. Recent years have witnessed its revival alongside debates on the persistence of nationalism in contemporary politics. The Italian nationalist ideologue Giuseppe Mazzini is often cited as the leading historical exponent of this inclusive form of nationalism. Mazzini is portrayed as a liberal because of his democratic and republican stances – which is yet a depiction originating from limited engagement with his writings, the repetition of Italian national narratives steeped in anti-Austrian rhetoric, and customary conflations of democracy with political liberalism. This article reassesses Mazzini's alleged role as a founding figure of 'liberal nationalism.' Through textual analysis of his Duties of Man and related works, it shows that while Mazzini's nationalism was democratic, it was not liberal. His emphasis on collective duties and cultural homogeneity placed him at odds with political liberalism, concerned with limiting state interference in individual life, and liberal democracy. Without directly assessing the normative validity of 'liberal nationalism,' the article challenges its purported Mazzinian genealogy by questioning the historical accuracy of grounding it in Mazzini, thereby inviting a reconsideration of the historical and conceptual foundations of the idea of 'liberal nationalism.'