Modern Political Thought (Second Edition)

The second edition of David Wootton's Modern Political Thought: Readings from Machiavelli to Nietzsche offers a new unit on modern constitutionalism with selections from Hume, Montesquieu, the Federalist, and Constant. In addition to a new essay by Wootton, this unit features his new translation of Constant's 1819 essay "On Ancient and Modern Liberty". Other changes include expanded selections from Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy and a new Hegel selection, all of which strengthen an already excellent anthology.

SKU
25628g

Readings from Machiavelli to Nietzsche

Edited, with Introductions, by David Wootton

2008 - 928 pp.

Grouped product items
Format ISBN Price Qty
Cloth 978-0-87220-898-8
$81.00
Paper 978-0-87220-897-1
$56.00
Instructor Examination (Review) Copy 978-0-87220-897-1
$5.00

The second edition of David Wootton's Modern Political Thought: Readings from Machiavelli to Nietzsche offers a new unit on modern constitutionalism with selections from Hume, Montesquieu, the Federalist, and Constant. In addition to a new essay by Wootton, this unit features his new translation of Constant's 1819 essay "On Ancient and Modern Liberty". Other changes include expanded selections from Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy and a new Hegel selection, all of which strengthen an already excellent anthology.


Comments on the First Edition:

"A superbly edited collection—absolutely the best of its kind."
     —Ian Shapiro, Yale University
 

"This book includes a wide and balanced selection of many of the more important texts of modern political thought.  To its great credit, it provides pertinent excerpts from frequently neglected authors, such as Calvin and Hume, which it nicely juxtaposes with writings by more well-read authors such as Hobbes and Locke.  The introductions to each section help to situate the writers in their historical and intellectual context and to alert students to some of the central issues that arise in the texts.  An economical and useful approach to modern political thought."
     —Dan Engster, University of Chicago
 

"Modern Political Thought might well replace current texts for undergraduate modern political theory and political philosophy classes.  In it, primary sources are plentiful and well represented.  Wootton's introductions to particular thinkers, as well as to epochs and relations among their thinkers, are absolutely first rate: clear, concise, accessible to undergraduates yet stimulating to the professional."
     —Peter Schouls, Massey University

 

Contents:

Introduction

1. Machiavelli and the Renaissance:

Machiavelli (1469–1527) [trans. David Wootton]:
     Letter to Francesco Vettori (1513)
     The Prince (1513–16)
     Discourses (c. 1517) [selections]

2. Hobbes, the Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution:

Calvin (1509–1564):
     On Civil Government (1536–60)

Hobbes (1588–1679):
     Leviathan (1651)
        Dedicatory
        Introduction
        Part 1
        Part 2
        Part 3 [selections]
        A Review and Conclusion

3. John Locke, David Hume, and the Right of Revolution:

Locke (1632–1704):
     Second Treatise of Government (1689)

Hume (1711–1776):
    Of the Original Contract (1748)

4. Rousseau, the Enlightenment, and the Age of Revolution:

Rousseau (1712–1778) [trans. Donald A. Cress]:
     Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality among Men (1755)
     On the Social Contract (1762)

Smith (1723–1790):
     Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759–90) [selections]

Burke (1730–1797):
     Reflections on the Revolution in France (1789–90) [selections]

Kant (1724–1804) [trans. Ted Humphrey]:
     An Answer to the Question: What Is Enlightenment? (1784)

5. Constitutionalism and the Redefinition of Liberty:

Hume:
     "Of the Independency of Parliament" (1741, revised 1764)

Montesquieu (1689–1755) [trans. Melvin Richter]:
     The Spirit of the Laws (1748), bk xi, chs. I–VI

Hamilton (1755–1804) and Madison (1751–1836):
     The Federalist, Nos. 9, 10, 14, 48, 51 (1787–8)

Constant (1767–1830) [trans. David Wootton]:
     "On Ancient and Modern Liberty" (1819)

6. J. S. Mill: Feminism and the Pursuit of Happiness:

Bentham (1748–1832):
     An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1780) [selections]

Mill (1806–1873):
     On Liberty (1859)
     The Subjection of Women (1869)

7. Marx and Marxism:

Hegel (1770–1831) [trans. Leo Rauch]:
     Introduction to the Philosophy of History [selections]
     Philosophy of Right [selections]

Marx (1818–1883) [trans. Loyd D. Easton & Kurt H. Guddat]:
     On the Jewish Question (1843)
     Toward a Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right: Introduction (1844)
     Alienated Labor from Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844
     Theses on Feuerbach (1845)

Marx and Engels (1820–1895):
     The German Ideology (1845) [selections] [trans. Loyd D. Easton & Kurt H. Guddat]
     The Communist Manifesto (1848) [standard English edition of 1888]

Marx [includes selections reprinted from Karl Marx/Friedrich Engels: Collected Works, International Publishers]:
     The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (1852) [selections]
     Preface to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy (1859)
     Capital (1867) [selections]
     The Civil War in France (1871) [selections]
     Critique of the Gotha Program (1875) [selections]

8. Nietzsche For and Against:

Nietzsche (1844–1900) [trans. Maudemarie Clark & Alan J. Swensen]:
     On the Genealogy of Morality (1887) [selections]
        Preface
        First Treatise
        Second Treatise

 

About the Author:

David Wootton is Anniversary Professor of History, University of York.