Liberty and Property: A Social History of Western Political Thought from the Renaissance to EnlightenmentThe formation of the modern state, the rise of capitalism, the Renaissance and Reformation, the scientific revolution and the Age of Enlightenment have all been attributed to the “early modern” period. Nearly everything about its history remains controversial, but one thing is certain: it left a rich and provocative legacy of political ideas unmatched in Western history. The concepts of liberty, equality, property, human rights and revolution born in those turbulent centuries continue to shape, and to limit, political discourse today. Assessing the work and background of figures such as Machiavelli, Luther, Calvin, Spinoza, the Levellers, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, Ellen Wood vividly explores the ideas of the canonical thinkers, not as philosophical abstractions but as passionately engaged responses to the social conflicts of their day. |
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absolute absolutist argued argument aristocracy autonomy Bodin capitalism capitalist central century certainly challenge Christian Church city-states civic civil claims commercial common conception conflicts consent constituted context culture debate democracy democratic depended discourse distinctive doctrine domination Dutch Dutch Republic economic elites empire England English Enlightenment equality estates extra-economic feudal France French Grotius Hobbes Holy Roman Emperor Holy Roman Empire Huguenot human idea imperial individual interests Ireton Jean Bodin John Locke jurisdiction kind king labour land less liberty Locke Locke’s Luther Machiavelli magistrates means military modern monarchomachs monarchy Montesquieu multitude natural law natural right obedience oligarchic Parliament particular peasants political theory political thought princes principles private property privileges produced Protestantism Putney Debates radical Reformation represented Republic republican resistance Revolution Roman Rousseau royal rulers ruling class secular authority simply social Social Contract society sovereign power sovereignty Spanish specific Spinoza stadtholder thinkers Third Estate tion tradition wealth