Political Theory

"With Harriet Taylor's name at last joined to that of her beloved husband John Stuart Mill as the co-author of this timeless book, we get to see On Liberty even more clearly as the complex and nuanced text it has always been. The greatest plea for individual intellectual freedom ever penned, with its insistence that no idea should be left unexamined nor any protest left unheard, it is also implicitly a document of progressive reform: the political emancipation of women is as much a natural consequence of Mill and Taylor's view of liberty as is the need for unimpeded discussion of all political questions. The right to open debate leads inevitably to the possibility of undreamt-of reform. Set free from too narrow a 'libertarian' or ‘utilitarian’ understanding, we can once again embrace On Liberty as one of the greatest heralds of the open society we possess, and as a foundational two-headed document of the matchless moral adventure of liberal democracy."
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker critic-at-large and author of A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism (Basic Books, 2019)

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This volume gathers, for the first time, Mill’s most important writings from across his long career on one of the principal subjects of his life: the nature and reform of representative government. By doing so, it sheds new light on Mill’s views about democracy, constitutional structure, parliamentary government, class conflict, the relation between elites and the people, and many other key themes of his political thought. It includes an extensive original Introduction situating Mill’s work in the context of the politics of nineteenth-century Britain, and connects his thought to questions that still confront liberal states today.

“Thanks to Gregory Conti, we finally have a nearly complete collection of J. S. Mill’s writings on representative government. This volume shows us the development of the theory of electoral representation and the ideal dialogue Mill entertained with the European protagonists of representative institutions—a text of  documents and theoretical reflections central to understanding the history of our present.”
—Nadia Urbinati, Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Professor of Political Theory, Columbia University

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Written at the height of Kant’s philosophical maturity, the six essays included in this volume reflect his concern with issues of critical interest to his contemporaries—and to us. Their major themes include the nature and course of human history, the role of war in the history of people and nations and the principles on which lasting peace among them might be built, and the role of human reason and freedom in shaping the world in which we find ourselves.

These essays on politics, history, and moral practice build on and illustrate the consequences of Kant’s philosophy in his three Critical masterpieces and provide an important key for understanding that watershed in historical theory between the Enlightenment and nineteenth-century idealistic theories. With entirely new typesetting, this updated edition of Ted Humphrey’s 1983 translation restores inadvertent textual elisions, modifies translations of some significant terms, makes idiomatic adjustments in the English throughout, updates the Bibliography, and clarifies the conceptual and argumentative relationships among the essays.

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“Sitting Bull is arguably one of the best-known Native American leaders, and his life has been extensively documented. In Sitting Bull Speaks, Brad Lookingbill doesn’t aim to retell these familiar stories. Instead, he allows Sitting Bull to speak for himself. Drawing from various archives and sources, the book weaves a compelling and well-researched narrative centered on Sitting Bull’s own words and thoughts. Lookingbill introduces each document with thoughtful commentary, guiding the reader through the historical context. Though the title Sitting Bull Speaks echoes that of Neihardt’s classic Black Elk Speaks, this work goes further by presenting an authentic account of Sitting Bull’s voice. It offers a deeper understanding not only of the man himself but also of the Lakota world in which he lived.”
—Rani-Henrik Andersson, University of Helsinki

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The Hackett Introduction to Medical Ethics addresses key debates and analyzes prominent ethical perspectives on clinical medicine, healthcare policy, and human experimentation. Using numerous examples and case studies, Altman and Coe apply value theory to contemporary medical practice and trace the repercussions for such philosophical issues as autonomy, death, and justice. The book invites a range of readers to investigate urgent moral questions at the intersection of the body and social institutions. Free online resources include PowerPoint lecture slides, a sample syllabus, links to case studies (to help facilitate small group discussion and apply theoretical concepts), and more.

"With remarkable breadth and depth, Altman and Coe provide up-to-date discussions of both classic bioethical issues (such as informed consent and reproductive technologies) and more recent developments in the field (such as relational autonomy and the impact of racial disparities on healthcare). The Hackett Introduction to Medical Ethics balances contemporary theory with clinical examples and cases in ways that will benefit both students and professionals in philosophy, bioethics, and healthcare."
—Jamie Watson, Cleveland Clinic Center for Bioethics and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine

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"Domingo Sarmiento is a rhetorical and political giant whose garrulous, colorful, and troubling ideas about race, violence, politics, and literature have fascinated Spanish-language readers for over a hundred and fifty years. Thanks to William Acree's brilliant selection of writings and annotations, the sparkling translations of John Charles Chasteen, and Oscar Chamosa's excellent critical Introduction, readers of English can finally encounter this larger-than-life writer who was deeply committed to documenting his historical moment and assessing social and political ills. This book is a major—and long overdue—contribution to Latin American Studies."
—Christopher B. Conway, The University of Texas at Arlington

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Humanity faces numerous critical challenges in the twenty-first century, from climate change and globalization to pandemics and the impact of technological advances. Can the ideas of past political thinkers help us refine the problem-solving skills needed to redress the practical predicaments of today? In Classics of Political Thought for Today, Colin Farrelly explores a wide range of historical political thinkers, demonstrating how the successes and limitations of these past figures can yield sage insights for how we identify and address the social and political problems of today. The book canvasses, and critically assesses, the ancient Greeks, social contract theory, conservatism, feminism, Black political thought, utilitarianism, and Marxism. Farrelly highlights the lessons we can learn from past political thinkers, engaging with their ideas in a way that facilitates the intellectual curiosity, insight, and optimism necessary for addressing the societal predicaments of today and tomorrow.

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From John Adams’s 1774 diary entries on debates in the Continental Congress to the first ouster of a seated Speaker of the House in U.S. history in 2023, Jordan T. Cash and Kevin J. Burns’s Congressional Deliberation offers an edited and historically contextualized selection of primary sources highlighting key turning points in the history of the U.S. Congress. Via its diverse documentary record—and often by way of showcasing the lively cut-and-thrust of historic House and Senate debates—Congressional Deliberation sheds light on such formative issues in Congressional history as war powers and foreign policy, impeachment, civil rights, representation and apportionment, filibusters, federalism, oversight and investigation, legislative leadership, and many more. It will prove a valuable resource to all students of the U.S. Congress and of representative government.

"Congressional Deliberation provides readers with valuable insights into many of the most consequential historical debates and hinge points in the American experience by offering access to crucial primary source materials. The descriptive summaries provided by the editors explain and contextualize the complex topics admirably, making this volume a valuable source for instructors in government, civics, and history. Many of the historic disputes included have a very contemporary resonance that will help prompt lively class discussions while also providing valuable primary material for research purposes."
—John A. Lawrence, PhD, Arc of Power: Inside Nancy Pelosi's Speakership 2005–2010 and The Class of '74: Congress after Watergate and the Roots of Partisanship

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This new edition of Abortion: The Supreme Court Decisions includes all of the major Supreme Court decisions on abortion since the 1960s—as well as many majority, dissenting, and plurality opinions—carefully edited for use by researchers, journalists, and teachers in a variety of disciplines.

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Volume 2 of a 2-volume set. Volume 2 covers reconstruction to the present. Volume 1 covers origins through the Civil War. Together the two-volume set offers an unparalleled selection of key texts from the history of American political and constitutional thought. North American rights only.

Note about the current 2021 printing: Selections from the following texts have been removed from the 2021 revised printing of this book (2021 edition ISBN: 978-1-64792-012-8): E. B. White, Freedom; Langston Hughes, selected poems; Hannah Arendt, Reflections on Little Rock; Whittaker Chambers, Witness; C. Wright Mills, The Power Elite; Kurt Vonnegut, Harrison Bergeron; Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Family and Nation. In all other respects, this printing is identical to the original edition published in 2007 (paperback ISBN of the now out of print 2007 edition: 978-0-87220-885-8).

Download the TOC (PDF) of volume II (2021 printing).

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This new edition features a revision by Donald A. Cress of his bestselling 1987 translation of On the Social Contract together with Introduction, footnotes, and chronology by David Wootton, one of our leading historians of the Enlightenment.

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This edition of Leviathan is intended to provide the reader with a modestly abridged text that is straightforward and accessible, while preserving Hobbes' main lines of argument and of thought. It is meant for those who wish to focus primarily on the philosophical aspects of the work, apart from its stylish but often daunting early modern prose. The editors have updated language, style, punctuation, and grammar throughout. Very long, complicated sentences have been broken into two or more sentences for enhanced readability. In some instances, terms within a sentence are rearranged for enhanced clarity. Occasionally, an equivalent contemporary word is substituted for an archaic one. Ellipses indicate omissions of more than one sentence. Care has been taken to maintain the strength, nuance, and flavor of the work, especially of Hobbes' most difficult arguments. In addition, the volume offers a general Introduction and concise headnotes to each chapter. Annotation is geared to the student or novice reader. A glossary of key terms is also included, as well as an index.

A free author's Companion to The Essential Leviathan for students is available to download (PDFs) on the title support page here.

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Designed to serve the needs of students confronting Locke’s political thought for the first time, Lee Ward’s edition offers a faithful text of Two Treatises of Government with modernized spelling and punctuation. Its Editor’s Introduction outlines the main arguments of these works, illustrates the conceptual thread uniting the less frequently read First Treatise with the far more famous Second Treatise, and locates Locke’s work amid the turbulent constitutional battles of 1690s England. Helpful notes at the foot of the page, a Thematic Index, and an up-to-date Bibliography are also provided.

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The second edition of Aquinas, On Law, Morality, and Politics retains the selection of texts presented in the first edition but offers them in new translations by Richard J. Regan—including that of his Aquinas, Treatise on Law (Hackett, 2000). A revised Introduction and glossary, an updated select bibliography, and the inclusion of summarizing headnotes for each of the units—Conscience, Law, Justice, Property, War and Killing, Obedience and Rebellion, and Practical Wisdom and Statecraft—further enhance its usefulness.

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"Hackett’s On the Genealogy of Morality (we now have even the correct title!) may very well change the entire climate for reading Nietzsche in English—especially if read in conjunction with their equally splendid Twilight of the Idols. . . . Competing translations of Nietzsche’s late, utterly influential masterpieces have often made them a chore, rather than a delight, to read; and their introductions generally obscure, rather than illuminate, the texts’ situations. Clark and Swensen (and Polt and Strong) have made the Genealogy and Twilight accessible and exhilarating—while leaving them, as they are, enigmatic and problematic. Finally, readers of Nietzsche in English can—begin!”
—William Arctander O’Brien, University of California, San Diego

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"The translations are the collaborative product of the two leading authorities today on the Arthaśāstra. . . . Their work is consistently, meticulously accurate throughout, yet written in the most straightforward and direct manner imaginable. The material prefatory to each translated section is, again, clear and accessible. . . . Complex matters are effectively distilled in plain language, and the key issues brought out. Superb on all counts. I have been awaiting such a volume for a long time." —Timothy Lubin, Washington and Lee University

"McClish and Olivelle's general Introduction to the Arthaśāstra is destined to become a classic in the field of South Asian studies; they have translated the text itself in an accessible style that students and general readers alike will comprehend and enjoy.” —James Frey, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh

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"An excellent translation: clear, crisp and accurate. The introduction is also a helpful contextualization of the text, Boétie's relation to Montaigne, and a brief discussion of the history of this important text on non-cooperation in the 20th-Century. I highly recommend it for courses in the history of political theory and of non-cooperation as a means of regime change."
     —James Tully, Department of Political Science, University of Victoria

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“Joe Sachs has an extraordinary ability to render ancient Greek into English sentences that are so clear and direct that they help readers to look past Aristotle's technical terminology and reflect on the philosophical issues in the text. For beginning students Sachs's translations are an ideal vehicle through which to engage Aristotle's philosophy. For those of us who are more advanced, they are sufficiently different from the traditional translations to open fresh ways of thinking about the texts. Sachs does a fine job with the Politics. The translation is very readable and accurate, and the notes and glossary are insightful. The introductory essay by Lijun Gu valuably emphasizes the importance of book IV."
—Edward Halper, University of Georgia

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This substantially revised new edition of Rousseau: The Basic Political Writings features a brilliant new Introduction by David Wootton, a revision by Donald A. Cress of his own 1987 translation of Rousseau’s most important political writings, and the addition of Cress’ new translation of Rousseau's State of  War. New footnotes, headnotes, and a chronology by David Wootton provide expert guidance to first-time readers of the texts.

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"This will be the preferred edition of Plato’s Statesman for teachers and students who are serious not only about reading the text in good translation, but also about working through its arguments." —Dustin Gish, College of the Holy Cross

"Having taught Plato's dialogues in my classes over the past forty-three years to upper level undergraduates, I can especially appreciate the value of this new edition of Plato's Statesman. The three translators have paid very close attention to the amazing fecund versatility of the Greek text, producing a translation that is as accurate and lively as possible and the best currently available for classroom use. The interpretative essay is unique in its highlighting of all of the issues that a thoughtful reader should be led to consider concerning this work. As has been the case with other works by these translators, the glossary leads any Greek-less reader as close as possible to the interconnections of the major words that sustain the flow and eddies of this perennially fascinating work." —Donald Lindenmuth, The Pennsylvania State University

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"A superb achievement, one that successfully brings together in accessible form the work of two major writers of Renaissance France. This is now the default version of Montaigne in English." —Timothy Hampton, University of California, Berkeley

"Inspired. In every page—beginning with Atkinson's brilliant Introduction—this magical Montaigne betrays a lifetime of meditation on its subject." —Stephen G. Nichols, Johns Hopkins University

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The fifth edition of Michael L. Morgan’s Classics of Moral and Political Theory broadens the scope and increases the versatility of this landmark anthology by offering new selections from Aristotle’s Politics, Aquinas’ Disputed Questions on Virtue and Treatise on Law, as well as the entirety of Locke’s Letter Concerning Toleration, Kant’s To Perpetual Peace, and Nietzsche’s On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life.

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“An excellent, wide-ranging collection of Athenian speeches illuminating central topics of political, social, and legal history, including male and female sexuality, the ancient economy, Greek law, and major episodes of civic strife. Both accurate and faithful to the orators’ prose style, Wolpert and Kapparis’ new translations come accompanied by informative introductions and notes, a glossary of legal terms, and a helpful bibliography. Highly recommended for courses in the history of classical Athens, ancient rhetoric, and Greek law.” —Robert W. Wallace, Northwestern University

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"Rarely has the story of Latin American independence been told so richly and with such a plurality of voices. Chambers and Chasteen have expertly woven a comprehensive yet accessible historical tapestry of primary sources to tell the story of the Wars for Independence. The editors recover fascinating, lesser-known voices—many of which appear in English for the first time here—and situate them alongside canonical sources in rewarding and surprising ways. This is an indispensable resource for students and scholars alike, and an invitation to critically rethink the multiple meanings and resonance of Latin American independence."
     —Christopher Conway, The University of Texas at Arlington

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"Philip Barnard and Stephen Shapiro have produced an awesome edition of Brown's Ormond by providing copious explanatory notes and helpful documentation of the essential historical context of feminist, radical, egalitarian, and abolitionist expression. Oh, ye patriots, read it and learn!" —Peter Linebaugh, University of Toledo

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"An impressive edition . . . the most thoroughly satisfying historical and literary contextualization for the novel that I've ever encountered. Shapiro and Barnard offer a rich transatlantic artistic and ideological context that helps pull the whole novel into coherent focus. The footnotes to the novel are incredibly thorough, helpful, and interesting. . . . This Hackett edition of Wieland [is] the freshest and most topical of those now available."
    —Dana D. Nelson, Vanderbilt University

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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.

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"This volume represents a true breakthrough.  The indigenous uprisings of the late eighteenth century in the Andes form one of the most dramatic chapters in colonial Latin American history.  Yet until now there has been no set of original documents from the period available in the English language.  Ward Stavig and Ella Schmidt have worked assiduously to make this material available and the resulting book is impressive in its breadth and depth.  It covers a long span of the eighteenth century and the major regional theaters of insurgency.  It will be of great value to scholars, teachers, and students."
     —Sinclair Thomson, Department of History, New York University

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The Hackett edition of Teresa of Avila's spiritual autobiography features Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez's authoritative translation of The Book of Her Life with a new Introduction by Jodi Bilinkoff that will prove especially valuable to students of Early Modern Spain, the history of Christian spirituality, and classic women writers.  A map, chronology, and index are also included.

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"This edition of the The Prince has three distinct and disparate objectives: to provide a fresh and accurate translation; to analyze and find the roots of Machiavelli's thought; and to collect relevant extracts from other works by Machiavelli and some contemporaries, to be used to illuminate and explicate the text. The objectives are all reached with considerable and admirable skill. The reader senses Professor Atkinson's empathy and feeling for even the tiniest movements in Machiavelli's mind. Professor Atkinson has done a great service to students and teachers of Machiavelli, who should certainly welcome this as the most useful edition of The Prince in English. "
     —Mario Domandi, Italica, 1978

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"This new edition of Arthur Mervyn far exceeds any previous version of this remarkable American novel.  Through exhaustive archival research, the editors have produced a reliable text constructed within the intellectual, cultural, political, and religious contexts of a society informing Brown's efforts to capture and preserve the formation of the early republic for generations of readers and cultural historians.  This vital text is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of the United States."
     —Emory Elliott, University Professor, University of California-Riverside

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his will be a splendid and useful book for teachers of courses focusing on the nineteenth century who have been frustrated at the lack of accessible sources in English. . . . the selection of texts is as near to impeccable as possible in trying to capture Latin American thinking between Bolívar in 1819 and Arguedas in 1909. . . . this is a worthy collection of primary sources, and it will certainly be of use in bringing neglected texts and authors to the audience of students who have no Spanish."
     —Matthew Brown, University of Bristol

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From James I's "Address Before Parliament" (1610) to Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s "Learned Hand Dinner Address Before the American Jewish Committee" (2005), this two-volume set offers an unparalleled selection of key texts from the history of American political and constitutional thought. North American rights only.

Download the TOC (PDF) for volume 1.

Download the TOC (PDF) for volume 2.

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Offering the first complete translation into modern English of Aquinas’ unfinished commentary on Aristotle’s Politics, this translation follows the definitive Leonine text of Aquinas and reproduces in English those passages of William of Moerbeke’s exacting yet elliptical translation of the Politics from which Aquinas worked.  Bekker numbers have been added to passages from the Politics for easy reference. Students of the history of political thought will welcome this study of a great classic, a commentary by a student of Aristotle who is also a great political theorist in his own right.

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Volume 1 of a 2-volume set. Volume 1 covers origins through the Civil War. Volume 2 covers reconstruction to the present. Together the two-volume set offers an unparalleled selection of key texts from the history of American political and constitutional thought. North American rights only.

Download the TOC (PDF) of volume I.

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In this engaging volume, Daniel Gardner explains the way in which the Four Books—Great Learning, Analects, Mencius, and Maintaining Perfect Balance—have been read and understood by the Chinese since the twelfth century.  Selected passages in translation are accompanied by Gardner's comments, which incorporate selections from the commentary and interpretation of the renowned Neo-Confucian thinker, Zhu Xi (1130-1200).

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"Joe Sachs, known and respected for his excellent translations of Aristotle, deserves great praise for this new translation of Plato's Republic. Based on the latest definitive edition of the Greek text and guided by a sense that Greek in English need not read like an old, foreign tongue, Sachs' translation captures the flow of the conversation in an English that reads smoothly, even when the ideas expressed force one to pause and look again. Fluid, yet accurate, Sachs' translation allows the thoughtful reader deeper entry into this all-important book. The editorial guides and typographical signs to remind the reader of who has joined the argument most recently are all highly helpful and most welcome. I look forward to reading this with students." —Charles E. Butterworth, University of Maryland

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"A genuine understanding of Hume's extraordinarily rich, important, and influential moral philosophy requires familiarity with all of his writings on vice and virtue, the passions, the will, and even judgments of beauty—and that means familiarity not only with large portions of A Treatise of Human Nature, but also with An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals and many of his essays as well.  This volume is the one truly comprehensive collection of Hume's work on all of these topics.  Geoffrey Sayre-McCord, a leading moral philosopher and Hume scholar, has done a meticulous job of editing the texts and has provided an extensive Introduction that is at once accessible, accurate, and philosophically engaging, revealing the deep structure of Hume's moral philosophy."
     —Don Garrett, New York University

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In this concise volume, Michael Loewe provides an engaging overview of the government of the early empires of China.  Topics discussed are: the seat of supreme authority; the structure of central government; provincial and local government; the armed forces; officials; government communications; laws of the empire; control of the people and the land; controversies; and problems and weaknesses of the imperial system.  Enhanced by details from recently discovered manuscripts, relevant citations from official documents, maps, a chronology of relevant events, and suggestions for further reading keyed to each topic, this work is an ideal introduction to the ways in which China’s first emperors governed.

 

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"This is now the edition of choice for those of us who teach Brown's fascinating Edgar Huntly.  Barnard and Shapiro explore the relevant historical, cultural, and literary backgrounds in their illuminating Introduction; they skillfully annotate the text; they provide useful and up-to-date bibliographies; and they append a number of revealing primary texts for further cultural contextualization.  This edition will help to stimulate new thinking about race, empire, and sexuality in Brown's prescient novel of the American frontier." —Robert S. Levine, University of Maryland

"The striking painting by a French artist on the cover of this American novel signals the editors' refreshing approach to Edgar Huntly through trans-Atlantic discourses of empire, radical-democratic social theory, sensibility, and sexuality. . . .This edition provides students with the tools to contextualize and analyze Edgar Huntly, including an extensive bibliography of relevant scholarship and footnotes that define unfamiliar words, give historical background, or refer the reader back to the introduction.  Barnard and Shapiro's selection of related texts from works including William Godwin's Political Justice and Brown's essays gives students insight on Edgar Huntly's sources." —Yvette Piggush, Journal of the Early Republic

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"This valuable anthology of the framer's essential writings allows readers to experience the panoramic depth of Madison's mind.  For those just beginning their study, Ketcham's choices offer a meaningful introduction to Madison's complex view of the whole. . . . Of special note is the final section, in which Ketcham provides a selection of Madison's treatises on issues that cut the Union asunder in the decade prior to the Civil War.  In this reviewer's mind, the editor is to be praised for his efforts in assembling such a comprehensive, cohesive, and concise collection.  Summing Up: Essential."
     —M. J. C, Taylor, CHOICE

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"The publication of The Essential Jefferson is a welcome addition to the fine American Heritage Series published by Hackett Publishing. . . . Yarbrough's judicious selection of key Jefferson documents and its economical price make [this book] ideal for the classroom. . . . In the post-September 11 era, an understanding of the thought of America's first philosopher of democracy is more essential now than at any time in America's history—including its founding era.  Anyone interested in understanding democracy would be wise to read The Essential Jefferson."
     —Jeffrey D. Hilmer, Perspectives on Political Science

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"Eldon Eisenach, one of the most perceptive scholars of American progressivism, has brought together in this fine collection both standard and unfamiliar sources that will give historians, political scientists, and their undergraduate and graduate students access to a wide range of voices from—and reliable guidance to the voluminous secondary sources on—the era of progressive reform."
     —James Kloppenberg, Harvard University

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"Philosopher-Kings broke new ground on its first appearance by delivering to an audience accustomed to looking for flaws in Plato's thinking an interpretation of the Republic that celebrates the coherence of Plato's argument as it ramifies through every cranny of that controversial work. Reeve's book swiftly became a classic of Platonic scholarship and has never lost its grip. Its reissue by Hackett is a very welcome event."
     —G.R.F. Ferrari, University of California, Berkeley

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"Kremer's is an attractive text because of its combination of simplicity and strong delivery, and this is true regarding his translation and his interpretive essay alike. He has striven for a scrupulous accuracy in his translation, and he has achieved this without sacrificing readability or neglecting the distinctive tone of Plato and Xenophon."
     —Norma Thompson, Yale University

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The Political Treatise, Spinoza’s final work, is a largely theoretical inquiry into the fundamental principles of political philosophy. This edition offers an exceptional translation by Samuel Shirley and a prefatory essay by Douglas Den Uyl that discusses why the Political Treatise deserves the attention of contemporary scholars. Steven Barbone and Lee Rice provide ample notes, a substantial bibliography, complete indexes of names and terms, and a comprehensive general introduction, which considers the evolution of Spinoza’s political thought in the context of the political and intellectual turmoil of the times, the relationship between the Political Treatise and the Theological-Political Treatise, and the importance of the Political Treatise to a full understanding of Spinoza’s political philosophy.

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This fictional outline of a modern utopia has been a center of controversy ever since its publication in 1948. Set in the United States, it pictures a society in which human problems are solved by a scientific technology of human conduct.

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"The Federalist Papers are by far the most significant resource for historical argument in construing the U.S. Constitution. J. R. Pole has given us a new edition that winningly combines his exceptional mastery of the politics of the Federalist period with an acute appreciation of the historical and philosophical background of the Papers. In crisp, lucid English prose he provides guidance for students—including lawyers, journalists, and judges—who want to understand the context within which the Federalist Papers were created. There is no more important work of American political philosophy; there is no one better to explicate its historical and political sources than J. R. Pole; it is unlikely there will be a better edition than his."  —Philip Bobbitt, University of Texas at Austin School of Law

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