Description
Through a fusion of philosophical, social scientific, and historical methods, A Brief History of Liberty provides a comprehensive, philosophically-informed portrait of the elusive nature of one of our most cherished ideals.
- Offers a succinct yet thorough survey of personal freedom
- Explores the true meaning of liberty, drawing philosophical lessons about liberty from history
- Considers the writings of key historical figures from Socrates and Erasmus to Hobbes, Locke, Marx, and Adam Smith
- Combines philosophical rigor with social scientific analysis
- Argues that liberty refers to a range of related but specific ideas rather than limiting the concept to one definition
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction: Conceptions of Freedom 1
1 A Prehistory of Liberty: Forty Thousand Years Ago 30
2 The Rule of Law: ad 1075 60
3 Religious Freedom: 1517 93
4 Freedom of Commerce: 1776 120
5 Civil Liberty: 1954 169
6 Psychological Freedom, the Last Frontier: 1963 208
Bibliography 244
Index 261
