Much has been discussed of the political thought of Giuseppe Mazzini, but it seems to go without notice that his impression of the state of the working class in England played the important role in the formation of his social thought. The writer will discuss this topic in this essay. In the middle of the 19 th century, the Benthamism was reigning over the minds of English people. According to Bentham's opinion, man is a pleasure aud pain messuring machine, and Laissez-Fair is the best way to realize the social welfare, that is, the greatest happiness of the greatest number. It may be safely said that he agreed with Admas Smith in this point. His opinion won the acceptance among the people in the early 19 th century, when the Industrial Revolution was going on. But in the middle of that century, when the Industrial Revolution came to the end, and the labour problems were becoming serious, it was made use of by industrial bourgeoisie to justify their selfish pursuit of profit. It is at that time that he came into contact with Benthamism. He attacked it in favour of the working-class on the ground that the anarchy of his days was the result of the realization of industrial rights and freedom, which was aimed at by ideologists of the French Revolution and their followers, that is Bentham or the orthodox school of economists, like Adam Smith and Richardo. The theory of individual rights and freedom brought about wars of gold and cunning among people. Thus the fellow country-men became brothers in name but enemies in fact. He asserted that the insistance on the human duties, not on the human rights, was indispensable to improve this anarchical condition and that the principle of Laisser-Fair should be rejected and the principle of Association should be maintained. Although the writer does not deny Bentham's historical role in destorying the society founded upon the priviledges, organized for the monopoly of enjoyment by the aristocratic minority, he cannot but accept the fact that Bentham failed in laying the foundations of the future society. Therefore the writer may conclude that Mazzini was not only one of these nationalists making efforts to accomplish the unification of Italy, but also, like Coleridge aud Carlyle, one of the critics of Benthamism in the middle of the 19 th century.
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