The Structure of Political Thought

Originally published in 1963, this classic book rethinks the history of Western political philosophy by contrasting classical-medieval principles against the "hypotheses" at the root of modern liberalism and conservativism. In Part I, "The Classical Christian Tradition from Plato to Aquinas," the author lays the foundation for a philosophical "structure" capable of producing "constitutional liberty." Part II, "The Modern Theory of Politics from Machiavelli to Marx," attempts to show, beginning with Machiavelli, the reversal and destruction of the pre-modern "structure" postulated in Part I. This classic volume on the origins of modern philosophical thought remains a standard in the field.

Informationen zum Autor Charles N. R. McCoy Klappentext Originally published in 1963, this classic book is a rethinking of the history of Western political philosophy. Charles N. R. McCoy contrasts classical-medieval principles against the "hypotheses" at the root of modern liberalism and modern conservativism.In Part I, "The Classical Christian Tradition from Plato to Aquinas," the author lays the foundation for a philosophical "structure" capable of producing "constitutional liberty." Part II, "The Modern Theory of Politics from Machiavelli to Marx," attempts to show, beginning with Machiavelli, the reversal and destruction of the pre-modern "structure" postulated in Part I.McCoy stresses the great contributions of Aristotle to political thought found in his more familiar Ethics and Politics, but also includes key insights drawn from Metaphysics and Physics. These contributions are developed and perfected, McCoy argues, by Augustine and Aquinas. Two other important features include McCoy's epistemological insights into Plato's work that will be new to many readers and the author's juxtaposition of traditional natural law with "the modernized theory of natural law." The modern account of autonomous natural law, in McCoy's view, helps explain the totalitarian direction of key aspects of modern political thought. This classic volume on the origins of modern philosophical thought remains a standard in the field. Zusammenfassung Originally published in 1963, this classic book is a rethinking of the history of Western political philosophy. Charles N. R. McCoy contrasts classical-medieval principles against the "hypotheses" at the root of modern liberalism and modern conservativism. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction to the Transaction Edition Thomas M. Neumayr and Richard J. DoughertyPrefaceIntroductionPart One. The Classical-Christian Tradition1 Plato: Logic and Political Reality The Sophists Socrates and Plato The Doctrine that Virtue Is Knowledge The State The Individual Writ Large Property and the Family2 Aristotle: Political Science and the Real World Art and Prudence Ethics Fundamental Principles of Self-government The Political Life and the Contemplative Life The Primacy of the Common Good Economics and Politics Political Science: Architectonic and Principal Science The Political Community Forms of Government Rule According to Law and the Forms of Government The Mixed Forms of Government and the Polity3 The Political Philosophy of Later Greece and Rome The Philosophies of Conduct Natural Law, Law of Nations, and Civil Law4 Christianity and Political Philosophy: The Relation of Church and State Greek Political Philosophy and Christian Theology The Theory of Church and State St. Augustine: The City of God St. Thomas Aquinas: Church and State Egidius Colonna John of Paris Marsilius of Padua5 Christianity and Political Philosophy: The Theory of Constitutional Government The Political Community: The Law of the Constitution The Best Form of Government Consent and Possibility: Intrinsic Limits on Positive Law The Divine Positive Law and Constitutional LibertyPart Two. The Modern Theory of Politics6 Machiavelli and the New Politics: The Primacy of Art Machiavelli and the Renaissance Art and the New Physics The Political Thought of Machiavelli The Protestant Reformation and Political Philosophy7 The Modernized Theory of Natural Law and the Enlightenment Jean Bodin (1530 1596) The Modernized Theory of Natural Law Hugo Grotius (1583 1645) Thomas Hobbes (1588 1679) John Locke (1632 1704) Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 1778)8 The Outcome of Autonomous Natural Law: Classical Liberalism and Conservatism David Hume The Attack on Causality Adam Smith The Theory of Moral Sentiments Jeremy Bentham (1748 1832) John Stuart Mill (1806 1873) Edmund Burke (1729 1797) and Modern Conservatism The Dilemma of Liberalism9 The Marxist Revolutionary Idea: The Enlightenment in Ger...

Autorentext

Charles N. R. McCoy

Klappentext

Originally published in 1963, this classic book is a rethinking of the history of Western political philosophy. Charles N. R. McCoy contrasts classical-medieval principles against the "hypotheses" at the root of modern liberalism and modern conservativism. In Part I, "The Classical Christian Tradition from Plato to Aquinas," the author lays the foundation for a philosophical "structure" capable of producing "constitutional liberty." Part II, "The Modern Theory of Politics from Machiavelli to Marx," attempts to show, beginning with Machiavelli, the reversal and destruction of the pre-modern "structure" postulated in Part I. McCoy stresses the great contributions of Aristotle to political thought found in his more familiar Ethics and Politics, but also includes key insights drawn from Metaphysics and Physics. These contributions are developed and perfected, McCoy argues, by Augustine and Aquinas. Two other important features include McCoy's epistemological insights into Plato's work that will be new to many readers and the author's juxtaposition of traditional natural law with "the modernized theory of natural law." The modern account of autonomous natural law, in McCoy's view, helps explain the totalitarian direction of key aspects of modern political thought. This classic volume on the origins of modern philosophical thought remains a standard in the field.

Inhalt
Introduction to the Transaction Edition Thomas M. Neumayr and Richard J. DoughertyPrefaceIntroductionPart One. The Classical-Christian Tradition1 Plato: Logic and Political Reality The Sophists Socrates and Plato The Doctrine that Virtue Is Knowledge The State The Individual Writ Large Property and the Family2 Aristotle: Political Science and the Real World Art and Prudence Ethics Fundamental Principles of Self-government The Political Life and the Contemplative Life The Primacy of the Common Good Economics and Politics Political Science: Architectonic and Principal Science The Political Community Forms of Government Rule According to Law and the Forms of Government The Mixed Forms of Government and the Polity3 The Political Philosophy of Later Greece and Rome The Philosophies of Conduct Natural Law, Law of Nations, and Civil Law4 Christianity and Political Philosophy: The Relation of Church and State Greek Political Philosophy and Christian Theology The Theory of Church and State St. Augustine: The City of God St. Thomas Aquinas: Church and State Egidius Colonna John of Paris Marsilius of Padua5 Christianity and Political Philosophy: The Theory of Constitutional Government The Political Community: The Law of the Constitution The Best Form of Government Consent and Possibility: Intrinsic Limits on Positive Law The Divine Positive Law and Constitutional LibertyPart Two. The Modern Theory of Politics6 Machiavelli and the New Politics: The Primacy of Art Machiavelli and the Renaissance Art and the New Physics The Political Thought of Machiavelli The Protestant Reformation and Political Philosophy7 The Modernized Theory of Natural Law and the Enlightenment Jean Bodin (1530 1596) The Modernized Theory of Natural Law Hugo Grotius (1583 1645) Thomas Hobbes (1588 1679) John Locke (1632 1704) Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 …