Description

Volume 1 of the classic anthology of political thought: a comprehensive selection of the crucial ideas in political philosophy from Plato and Aristotle to Locke and Montesquieu

As an introduction to political theory and science, this standout collection of writings by the great philosophers is a must for readers of philosophy. It also forms a basic textbook for students of government and political theory. Such fundamental concepts as Democracy, the Rule of Law, Justice, Natural Rights, Sovereignty, Citizenship, Power, the State, Revolution, Liberty, Reason, Materialism, Toleration, and the Place of Religion in Society are traced from their origins, through their development and changing patterns, to show how they guide political thinking and institutions today.

Among the authors in this volume: Sophocles, Plato, Artistotle, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Cicero, St. Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Martin Luther, Calvin, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, and Montesquieu.

About the Author

Michael Curtis is professor emeritus of political science at Rutgers University and has taught at several other institutions, including Yale University and Cornell University. He has written and edited more than fifteen books in the fields of comparative politics, political theory, and Middle East affairs.