Introduction EDWARD B. MCLEAN Western man's pursuit of liberty has been constant. Indeed, the concept of liberty is central to Western political thought and history. The following essays, which were the first of the Goodrich Lecture Series at Wabash College, examine the concept of liberty as...

"We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed... There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair... Like a boil that can never be...

Social Contract Theorists Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau have many ideas in common, but like anyone else they disagree on quite a few things. In some writings one political philosopher will argue against another philosopher and in another writing they will be using another philosopher's argument ...

Plato on Hobbes' view of justice According to Hobbes, justice must be defined as nothing more than abiding by the law. However, from Plato's point of view, this notion of justice is not adequate. Regards to human nature, Hobbes is very pessimistic, while Plato is less so. Based on differe...

Niccolo Machiavelli is probably at one and the same time one of the most read and one of the most widely misunderstood of any of the political philosophers of the renaissance in Europe whose ideas are still considered relevant and in active circulation today, indeed, as Leo Strauss has note...

For close to five hundred years, the name Niccolo Machiavelli has held a place in history and in philosophy that has been hotly debated for centuries. Some say that Machiavelli is the true statesman and his books hold the key to the most efficient form of governing, while others call him a barbaric ...

There has long been ethical dilemmas and conflicts that deal with the power and fairness as to how the worker is treated by management. The main dilemma that will be addressed, will be based upon and addressing ethical issues in business as it relates to management vs. labor; or the treatment of h...

An old look on a new government Popular views of government have changed constantly throughout history. For a government to be popular and legitimate, it must meet certain intangible guidelines. These guidelines have been the topic of many an essay and book over history. Political science, and ...

Locke And Rousseau The idea of consent... Locke And Rousseau The idea of consent is a key element in the works of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In the "Second Treatise of Government," Locke puts forth his conception of the ideal form of government based on a social contract. As Locke dev...

CHAPTER I The setting for this book is in 1512 with the fall of Rome. The first chapter is titled "The kinds of principalities and the means by which they are acquired," because this is the first chapter and in order to understand the book you need to understand the most basic and ...

The History of European Political Ideas What are the aims of Machiavelli in the Prince? The Prince was an incredible book written by Machiavelli. Even though it was written in the 1500s, much of it can be applied in the world today. Many philosophers credit the ideas of Nicolo Machiavelli, be...

LEGAL HISTORY #7 SPRING 2000 Michael France May 5, 2000 The founders professedly attempted to construct a nation governed by law, not by men. Did they succeed? Either way, what were the ramifications for American society? I will discuss the belief that Americ...

Mark Ethics, July 1999 v109 i4 p739 Justification and Legitimacy(*). (philosophy of the state) A. John Simmons. Abstract: Different arguments ...

Aristotle and Locke on Slavery Slavery is an issue that has plagued many societies over the history of the world. Slavery has existed on almost every continent, and has affected millions of people's lives. The idea and philosophy behind slavery is an issue that almost every great politic...