LITMIR.BIZ

First published in 1651, “Leviathan” is Thomas Hobbes’ work of political philosophy in which he outlines his theories on an ideal state and its creation. Written in the middle of the 17th century during the English Civil War, Hobbes’ argues that a strong central government with an absolute sovereign was necessary to bring about an ordered society. Given the tumultuous events of English society at the time of the writing of “Leviathan” it is clear to see the motivations for Hobbes’ insistence on a strong central government in the face of the chaos caused by social and political upheaval. Hobbes believed that the prospect of peace that this type of system would provide was worth giving up some of the natural freedoms of man. “Leviathan”, whose title is a reference to a biblical monster, is divided into the following four parts: Part I: Of Man, Part II: Of Common-wealth, Part III: Of a Christian Common-wealth, and Part IV: Of the Kingdom of Darkness. In the first part Hobbes gives an account of human nature which forms the basis for his subsequent prescriptions regarding the establishment of an ordered commonwealth. Considered by some to be among the greatest works of political philosophy ever written, the influence of “Leviathan” on modern political theory cannot be overstated. This edition includes an introduction by Herbert W. Schneider and a biographical afterword.

Подробнее

Thomas More, a 16th century English lawyer, statesman, and philosopher, was one of the most controversial figures of his time. More opposed the Protestant reformation and denied the King’s position as head of the Church of England. This act would ultimately lead to his trial for treason and execution. Despite his tragic downfall, he will forever be remembered for his pioneering work “Utopia.” Thomas More first coined the word utopia in his 1516 book of the same name. Although the concept of a near perfect society dates back at least to the period of classical antiquity, it is Thomas More’s work that would establish itself as the most famous example of this genre of literature. More’s “Utopia” is described as an idealized island community upon which perfect social harmony has been achieved, all property is community owned, violence is nonexistent and everyone has the opportunity to work and live in an environment of religious tolerance. An inspiration for many social movements throughout history “Utopia,” will forever be regarded as a groundbreaking work of social philosophy. This edition follows the translation of Gilbert Burnet and includes introductions by Henry Morley and William D. Armes.

Подробнее

Plato’s most famous work and one of the most important books ever written on the subject of philosophy and political theory, “The Republic” is a fictional dialogue between Socrates and other various Athenians and foreigners which examines the meaning of justice. It is primarily from the writings of Plato that Socrates’s ideas are passed down to us. Written around 380 BC, the work is an important contribution to the age old question of how to best structure a society in a just way. The influence of the analysis contained within it on the development of government and law in Western civilization cannot be overstated. “The Republic” also discusses Plato’s “Theory of Forms”, the nature of the philosopher, the conflict between philosophy and poetry, and the immortality of the soul. An essential read for any student of philosophy or political science, “The Republic” is a monumental work of classical antiquity, which forms the foundation for much of our modern public policy. This edition follows the translation of Benjamin Jowett and includes an introduction by Alexander Kerr.

Подробнее

English Enlightenment philosopher John Locke has been called the “Father of Liberalism”. Following in the tradition of Sir Francis Bacon, he is one of the first British empiricists, which emphasizes the role of empirical evidence in the formation of ideas. His work would greatly influence other prominent political and literary figures including Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and the founding fathers of the United States of America. Contained here in this volume is one of his most influential writings, the “Second Treatise of Government”. The “Second Treatise” is concerned with five specific themes in relation to government. Firstly Locke defines a state of nature in which people have perfect freedom in dealing with the affairs of their own person and property. Secondly he discusses conquest and slavery arguing that the conquest and enslavement of absolute monarchy is a violation of natural law. Thirdly he asserts that civil society exists to protect a fundamental right to property by which he means life, liberty, and estate. Fourthly he discusses his views on representative government which may take any form so long as it is representative in upholding the fundamental rights prescribed by natural law. Lastly he discusses the right to revolt against any government that denies the aforementioned rights. The arguments made in Locke’s “Second Treatise” greatly influenced both the American and French revolutions leading to the foundation of modern democracy.

Подробнее

This volume collects together the most important writings of founding father Thomas Paine. First published on January 10, 1776, “Common Sense” was one the most influential and best-selling works from the colonial period. One of the central political arguments amongst the colonists of the pre-revolutionary period was whether or not they should seek freedom from British rule. In “Common Sense”, Paine provided a straightforward argument to the American people as to why they should seek independence. Second in this volume is “The Crisis”, a collection of pamphlets published during the American Revolutionary war which were meant to inspire the soldiers and reinforce the reasons for the fight. Third is the “Rights of Man” a refutation of Edmund Burke’s “Reflections on the Revolution in France” in which Paine argues that popular political revolution is necessary when a government does not protect the natural rights of its people. Fourth in this book is Paine’s “The Age of Reason”, a controversial work arguing for the philosophical position of Deism, which challenged institutionalized religion and the legitimacy of the Bible. Lastly there is the socialist treatise “Agrarian Justice”, in which Paine argues that land owners owe a rent to society in order to fund universal old-age and disability pensions as well as to provide a fixed sum to all citizens upon reaching maturity. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

Подробнее

“On Liberty and Other Essays” brings together the most important works of philosopher and political economist John Stuart Mill. In “On Liberty” Mill eloquently ponders the question of where the line should be drawn between the freedom of individuals and the authority of the state. As he puts it, “The struggle between liberty and authority is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar…” Second in this volume, “Utilitarianism” is the classic exposition of the Utilitarian philosophy, the basic principle of which is that one’s actions should be guided towards outcomes that create the greatest good for the greatest numbers of people. In “Considerations on Representative Government,” Mill makes his arguments for the representative form of government as the ideal one. Lastly, “The Subjection of Women” is an essay co-written with his wife, Harriet Taylor Mill, arguing in favor of equality between the sexes. Arguably one of the most important political thinkers of the modern era, John Stuart’s Mill’s influence on Western civilization cannot be overstated. This representative selection collects together the principal works from which that reputation is garnered. This edition includes an introduction by A. D. Lindsay.

Подробнее

First published anonymously in December 1689, John Locke’s “Two Treatises of Government” are considered to be some of the most important works of political philosophy ever written. In the first treatise Locke disputes the divine right of monarchial rule principle that is put forth in the book “Patriarcha” by Sir Robert Filmer. The first treatise is in fact a sentence by sentence refutation of “Patriarcha.” Filmer asserts the idea that absolute authority over the world flows from the Biblical Adam and his ownership of the world and that the heir of Adam is the rightful inheritor of this authority. Locke dismisses this line of reasoning that authority flows from some divine lineage to the first man in favor of a system based on natural laws and consent of the people. In the second treatise Locke sets forth the basic principles of natural law that lay the foundation for basic human rights and the government of man. Also contained within this volume is the shorter work, “A Letter Concerning Toleration.” These works collectively represent some of the first and most important rejections of monarchial rule and helped to lay the foundation towards the representative governments that now dominate the Western world. This edition includes an introduction by Henry Morley and a biographical afterword.

Подробнее

In 1831, the then twenty-seven year old Alexis de Tocqueville, was sent with Gustave de Beaumont to America by the French Government to study and make a report on the American prison system. Over a period of nine months the two traveled all over America making notes not only on the prison systems but on all aspects of American society and government. From these notes Tocqueville wrote “Democracy in America”, an exhaustive analysis of the successes and failures of the American form of government, a republican representative democracy. Tocqueville believed that over the past seven hundred years the social and economic conditions of humanity were progressively becoming more equal. The future was, in his opinion, inevitably drawing humanity towards the democratic ideal thus diminishing the power of the aristocracy. Tocqueville’s predictions of the changing nature of human civilization seem almost clairvoyant in retrospect. First published in two volumes in 1835 and 1840, “Democracy in America” remains one of the most important historical documents of America and political analysis of its form of government. This edition includes both unabridged volumes as translated by Henry Reeve and an introduction by John Bigelow.

Подробнее

Following the signing of the Declaration of Independence there was a vigorous debate in the American colonies on the form of government that should be then established. A Constitutional Convention was convened between May 25th and September 17th, 1787. A principal point in the debate at the convention was as to how much power should be granted to the federal government versus the states. In response to what would come out of this convention a number of “anti-federalist” essays began to proliferate in the press. In order to combat the objections to the new Constitution, Alexander Hamilton organized an effort to write and publish a series of essays that would “endeavor to give a satisfactory answer to all the objections”. This series of essays, which first appeared in three New York newspapers, “The Independent Journal”, the “New-York Packet”, and the “Daily Advertiser”, would come to be known as “The Federalist Papers”. Although the essays were published anonymously, it is believed that Alexander Hamilton wrote the majority of them with James Madison and John Jay contributing the rest. The influence of “The Federalist Papers” on modern democracy cannot be overstated and to this day these writings stand as some of the most important documents regarding the constitutional history of the United States of America. This edition includes introductions by Edward Gaylord Bourne and Goldwin Smith and a biographical afterword of Alexander Hamilton.

Подробнее

While it is true that poverty, political instability, and economic under-performance&nbsp;continue to be major problems in Latin America, the region has made substantial progress in raising standards of living and overcoming military authoritarianism.&nbsp;<em><strong>Latin American Politics&nbsp;</strong></em>reflects just how much the region has changed in the last two decades. Eduardo&nbsp;Alem&aacute;n&nbsp;draws on contemporary research in comparative studies on institutions, elections, and public opinion to highlight the big questions that political scientists seek to answer today: What are the causes of political instability? What explains the gap in economic and political development between the United States and Latin America? Why have some revolutionaries triumphed when most have failed?

Подробнее