Ricerc@Sapienza

The chapter focuses on the group of intellectuals gathered around the journal Il
Mulino and on their vision of democracy and democratic reformism: a vision
shaped by their diverse cultural backgrounds, their appraisal of Cold War
realities and their belief in the increasing “planetary” dimension of international
relations. As well as their belief in the fundamental role of intellectuals to
inspire political change, the authors explore Il Mulino’s myth of a worldwide
“frontier” of democracy, especially during the years of Kennedy’s presidency.
The chapter finally draws attention on the crisis of the journal’s cultural project
in the second half of the 1960s when these intellectuals were challenged by the
deteriorating high hopes of the reformist’s wave and uncertainties about the
détente.