Inventing the Individual : The Origins of Western Liberalism

Here, in a grand narrative spanning 1,800 years of European history, a distinguished political philosopher firmly rejects Western liberalism’s usual account of itself: its emergence in opposition to religion in the early modern era. Larry Siedentop argues instead that liberal thought is, in its underlying assumptions, the offspring of the Church. Beginning with a moral revolution in the first centuries CE, when notions about equality and human agency were first formulated by St. Paul, Siedentop follows these concepts in Christianity from Augustine to the philosophers and canon lawyers of the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, and ends with their reemergence in secularism—another of Christianity’s gifts to the West. __Inventing the Individual__ tells how a new, equal social role, the individual, arose and gradually displaced the claims of family, tribe, and caste as the basis of social organization. Asking us to rethink the evolution of ideas on which Western societies and government are built, Siedentop contends that the core of what is now the West’s system of beliefs emerged earlier than we commonly think. The roots of liberalism—belief in individual freedom, in the fundamental moral equality of individuals, in a legal system based on equality, and in a representative form of government befitting a society of free people—all these were pioneered by Christian thinkers of the Middle Ages who drew on the moral revolution carried out by the early Church. These philosophers and canon lawyers, not the Renaissance humanists, laid the foundation for liberal democracy in the West. Here, In A Grand Narrative Spanning 1,800 Years Of European History, A Distinguished Political Philosopher Firmly Rejects Western Liberalism's Usual Account Of Itself: Its Emergence In Opposition To Religion In The Early Modern Era. Larry Siedentop Argues Instead That Liberal Thought Is, In Its Underlying Assumptions, The Offspring Of The Church. Beginning With A Moral Revolution In The First Centuries Ce, When Notions About Equality And Human Agency Were First Formulated By St. Paul, Siedentop Follows These Concepts In Christianity From Augustine To The Philosophers And Canon Lawyers Of The Fourteenth And Early Fifteenth Centuries, And Ends With Their Reemergence In Secularism - Another Of Christianity's Gifts To The West. -- Book Jacket Prologue: What Is The West About? -- The World Of Antiquity -- The Ancient Family -- The Ancient City -- The Ancient Cosmos -- A Moral Revolution -- The World Turned Upside Down: Paul -- The Truth Within: Moral Equality -- Heroism Redefined -- A New Form Of Association: Monasticism -- The Weakness Of The Will: Augustine -- Towards The Idea Of Fundamental Law -- Shaping New Attitudes And Habits -- Distinguishing Spiritual From Temporal Power -- Barbarian Codes, Roman Law And Christian Intuitions -- The Carolingian Compromise -- Europe Acquires Its Identity -- Why Feudalism Did Not Recreate Ancient Slavery -- Fostering The 'peace Of God' -- The Papal Revolution: A Constitution For Europe? -- Natural Law And Natural Rights -- A New Model Of Government -- Centralization And The New Sense Of Justice -- The Democratizing Of Reason -- Steps Towards The Creation Of Nation-states -- Urban Insurrections -- The Birth Pangs Of Modern Liberty -- Popular Aspirations And The Friars -- The Defence Of Egalitarian Moral Intuitions -- God's Freedom And Human Freedom Joined: Ockham -- Struggling For Representative Government In The Church -- Dispensing With The Renaissance -- Epilogue: Christianity And Secularism -- Select Bibliography And Endnotes -- Index. Larry Siedentop. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents 8 Prologue: What is the West About? 10 The World of Antiquity 14 Chapter 1. The Ancient Family 16 Chapter 2. The Ancient City 28 Chapter 3. The Ancient Cosmos 42 A Moral Revolution 58 Chapter 4. The World Turned Upside Down: Paul 60 Chapter 5. The Truth Within: Moral Equality 76 Chapter 6. Heroism Redefined 88 Chapter 7. A New Form of Association: Monasticism 97 Chapter 8. The Weakness of the Will: Augustine 109 Towards the Idea of Fundamental Law 120 Chapter 9. Shaping New Attitudes and Habits 122 Chapter 10. Distinguishing Spiritual from Temporal Power 135 Chapter 11. Barbarian Codes, Roman Law and Christian Intuitions 150 Chapter 12. The Carolingian Compromise 160 Europe Acquires its Identity 172 Chapter 13. Why Feudalism did not Recreate Ancient Slavery 174 Chapter 14. Fostering the ‘Peace of God’ 187 Chapter 15. The Papal Revolution: A Constitution for Europe? 201 Chapter 16. Natural Law and Natural Rights 217 A New Model of Government 232 Chapter 17. Centralization and the New Sense of Justice 234 Chapter 18. The Democratizing of Reason 246 Chapter 19. Steps towards the Creation of Nation-States 261 Chapter 20. Urban Insurrections 274 The Birth Pangs of Modern Liberty 288 Chapter 21. Popular Aspirations and the Friars 290 Chapter 22. The Defence of Egalitarian Moral Intuitions 302 Chapter 23. God’s Freedom and Human Freedom Joined: Ockham 315 Chapter 24. Struggling for Representative Government in the Church 330 Chapter 25. Dispensing with the Renaissance 342 Epilogue: Christianity and Secularism 358 Select Bibliography and Endnotes 374 Index 396 Here, in a grand narrative spanning 1,800 years of European history, a distinguished political philosopher firmly rejects Western liberalism's usual account of itself: its emergence in opposition to religion in the early modern era. Larry Siedentop argues instead that liberal thought is, in its underlying assumptions, the offspring of the Church.“It is a magnificent work of intellectual, psychological, and spiritual history. It is hard to decide which is more remarkable: the breadth of learning displayed on almost every page, the infectious enthusiasm that suffuses the whole book, the riveting originality of the central argument, or the emotional power and force with which it is deployed.”—David Marquand, New Republic“Larry Siedentop has written a philosophical history in the spirit of Voltaire, Condorcet, Hegel, and Guizot...At a time when we on the left need to be stirred from our dogmatic slumbers, Inventing the Individual is a reminder of some core values that are pretty widely shared.”—James Miller, The Nation“In this learned, subtle, enjoyable and digestible work [Siedentop] has offered back to us a proper version of ourselves. He has explained us to ourselves...[A] magisterial, timeless yet timely work.”—Douglas Murray, The Spectator“Like the best books, Inventing the Individual both teaches you something new and makes you want to argue with it.”—Kenan Malik, The Independent "This short but highly ambitious book asks us to rethink the evolution of the ideas on which modern states are built. Larry Siedentop argues that the core of what is now our system of beliefs, liberalism, emerged much earlier than generally recognised, established not in the Renaissance but by the arguments of lawyers and philosophers in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. There are large parts of the world--fundamentalist Islam; quasi-capitalist China--where other belief systems flourish. Faced with these challenges, understanding our own ideas' origins is more than ever an important part of knowing who we are."--Publisher's Web site.