List of Biographies. Foreword. Part I: The Greeks Part II: Romans and Roman Catholics: From Polis to Cosmopolis Part III: Romans and Humanists: the Reinvention of Sovereignty Part IV: The Theory of the Social Contract Part V: Enlightenment and the Development of the Modern State Part VI: The Rise of Liberalism Part VII: Reactions to Liberalism 2 Part VIII: Reactions to Liberalism 3 Notes. Index.
J. S. McClelland is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Nottingham. He has held visiting posts at the University of Indiana at Bloomington and Sacramental State University, California. His previous publications include The French Right: From De Maistre to Maurras and The Crowd: From Plato to Canetti.
"Homeric in its scope and scale, this is an epic work of
intellectual history. John McClelland transforms theory into lived
experience, ideas into contested territory, philosophers into
living characters he and his readers can talk to. Writing with a
joyous, witty, passionate intensity, McClelland lets political
ideas sing, dazzle, dominate, then give way to the next generation
or fight back over new ground. The pitch and passion of his style,
his enormous learning and talent for synthesizing and explaining
difficult ideas, are masterly. I knew politics can be exciting, but
until I read "A History of Western Political Thought I never knew
how the various theories, ideologies and positions European history
has produced can also be exciting and entertaining.."
-Tom Paulin, poet and playwright
"The task that McClelland has set himself is of course daunting. .
. . But he goes about the matter with great gusto, and is always
lucid and a pleasure to read--I have no doubt that the book would
interest many people."
-Roger Scruton
"An easy, enjoyable and stimulating piece of work ... [It is] the
idiosyncratic character of the text and the opportunities to
challenge it on a variety of issues that will make it popular and
exciting."
-Tim Tilton, Indiana University
"A real tour de force of a book that ranges from the Greeks to
Michael Oakeshott. Brilliantly written and spiced with witty
asides."
-"Network
"This magnificent history of Western political thought is ...witty,
confident and sometimes extremely poetic."
-Robert Skidelski, Evening Standard
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