The first book of the fifth volume treats the Background of Machiavellism in sixteenth-century Europe. The focal point is Niccolo Machiavelli's reputed modernistic Machiavellism and statism, in relation to that of Jean Bodin, King Henry VIII, and Giovann Botero. Machiavelli, even more than Bodin, has usually been considered crucial background to the development of modern state theory in seminal later theorists such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Bentham, Hegel, and Savigny who promoted the institutions of modern nation-states. His revolutionary ideas have long been deemed paradigmatic for later thought and activity concerning the state. This book will be of interest to historians, to students of the history of ideas, and to legal and constitutional historians.
Focusing on the 17th and 18th centuries, this volume centers around six ideological isms that the author seeks to exploit as well as deconstruct. The six isms are absolutism, constitutionalism, rationalism, empiricism, liberalism, and conservatism—all of which have long presented problematical constructs that the author seeks to de-construct. The unusually broad range of famous thinkers studied here includes Hobbes, Locke, Richelieu, Bossuet, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Hume, Smith, Burke, and various French revolutionaries. Although the focus here is historical, the contemporary import of the subject is often brought out.
The modern state is hugely important in our everyday lives. It takes nearly half our income in taxes. It registers our births, marriages and deaths. It educates our children and pays our pensions. It has a unique power to compel, in some cases exercising the ultimate sanction of preserving life or ordering death. Yet most of us would struggle to say exactly what the state is. The Modern State offers a clear, comprehensive and provoking introduction to one of the most important phenomena of contemporary life. Topics covered include: * the nation state and its historical context * state and economy * state and societies * state and citizens * international relations * the future of the state
Focusing on the 17th and 18th centuries, this volume centers around six ideological isms that the author seeks to exploit as well as deconstruct. The six isms are absolutism, constitutionalism, rationalism, empiricism, liberalism, and conservatism—all of which have long presented problematical constructs that the author seeks to de-construct. The unusually broad range of famous thinkers studied here includes Hobbes, Locke, Richelieu, Bossuet, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Hume, Smith, Burke, and various French revolutionaries. Although the focus here is historical, the contemporary import of the subject is often brought out.
In this introduction, Kenneth Minogue discusses the development of politics from the ancient world to the twentieth century. He considers the evolution of different systems, ideological aspects and the future of political science.