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Freedom of the press, public opinion and liberalism in the Risorgimento

2012; Routledge; Volume: 17; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/1354571x.2012.718560

1469-9583

Maurizio Isabella,

Rousseau and Enlightenment Thought

Abstract The article discusses the way in which liberals conceived the relationship between freedom of the press, political liberty, and the Risorgimento. It argues that while all Risorgimento patriots advocated the introduction of freedom of the press, and saw it as a precondition for the success of their programmes, they also held different views on its applicability. While early liberals like Giuseppe Pecchio and Ugo Foscolo, in tune with the ideas of Benjamin Constant, were in favour of the largest possible freedom of speech, Italian moderates were less convinced of the benefits of an unchecked proliferation of political media. In line with the ideas of the French doctrinaires, Cesare Balbo, Vincenzo Gioberti, Terenzio Mamiani and Carlo Farini insisted on the pedagogical role of the press, and on the need to prevent it from becoming an instrument in the hands of democratic leaders and demagogues, one that would lead either to the proliferation of factions or to the establishment of a dictatorship of the majority.