FRANCO FANTONI

L'effetto  «Publius». Problemi storiografici e vicende editoriali del «Federalist»

N. 175

Summary — What is the "Publius" effect which gives the title to the present essay on The Federalist?

The " Publius" effect is The Federalist’s great capacity to provide always new and stimulating themes for research and historical-political meditation for those who want and are able to notice them. The author deals particularly with two aspects of the effect.

The first concerns the historiografic debate among scholars on which ones, among the three authors of The Federalist, have written sixteen of its eighty-five papers. In particular, the author has analyzed the methods used by historians to reach their attributions, and has compared them in order to point out contradictions and aporias whenever necessary.

The second aspect of the " Publius " effect concerns the editions of The Federalist. In this essay, Hamilton’s, Madison’s and Jay’s work’s publication history from 1788 to 1945 is minutely researched. All the editions of The Federalist during this period are mentioned (even those outside the U.S.A.), and above all they are contestualized historically in order to reveal their political and cultural importance fully.

The author concludes the essay by underscoring the fact that much importance was not immediately perceived by the Italian publishing and cultural milieu. In fact, the first edition of this great classic of political thought was published in Italy only in 1955, with many decades of deliberate cultural delay vis ŕ vis other nations.