The Greek Tradition in Republican Thought (Ideas in Context, Series Number 69)

"The Greek Tradition in Republican Thought rewrites the standard history of republican political theory in Europe and America. It argues that an important republican tradition, derived from the central texts of Greek moral and political philosophy, emerged in sixteenth-century England and contributed significantly to the ideological framework of both the English Civil Wars and the American Founding. This tradition attached little importance to freedom as "non-dependence" and saw no intrinsic value in political participation. Its central preoccupations were not honor and glory, but happiness eudaimonia and justice - and it defined the latter in Plato's terms, as the rule of the best men. This set of commitments yielded a startling readiness to advocate the corrective redistribution of wealth and even the outright abolition of private property. Dr. Nelson offers significant reinterpretations of such central actors in the republican drama as Thomas More, James Harrington, Montesquieu, and Thomas Jefferson, as well as a radical reappraisal of ancient Roman historiography." "The Greek Tradition in Republican Thought will be of great interest to scholars and students of the history of ideas, political history, early modern history, and American studies."--Jacket. � Read more... Content: 1. Greek nonsense in More's Utopia -- 2. The Roman agrarian laws and Machiavelli's modi privati -- 3. James Harrington and the "balance of justice" -- 4. "Prolem cum matre creatam": the background to Montesquieu -- 5. Montesquieu's Greek republics -- 6. The Greek tradition and the American Founding -- Coda: Tocqueville and the Greeks. Abstract: "The Greek Tradition in Republican Thought rewrites the standard history of republican political theory in Europe and America. It argues that an important republican tradition, derived from the central texts of Greek moral and political philosophy, emerged in sixteenth-century England and contributed significantly to the ideological framework of both the English Civil Wars and the American Founding. This tradition attached little importance to freedom as "non-dependence" and saw no intrinsic value in political participation. Its central preoccupations were not honor and glory, but happiness eudaimonia and justice - and it defined the latter in Plato's terms, as the rule of the best men. This set of commitments yielded a startling readiness to advocate the corrective redistribution of wealth and even the outright abolition of private property. Dr. Nelson offers significant reinterpretations of such central actors in the republican drama as Thomas More, James Harrington, Montesquieu, and Thomas Jefferson, as well as a radical reappraisal of ancient Roman historiography." "The Greek Tradition in Republican Thought will be of great interest to scholars and students of the history of ideas, political history, early modern history, and American studies."--Jacket The Greek Tradition in Republic Thought completely rewrites the standard history of republican political theory. It excavates an identifiably Greek strain of republican thought which attaches little importance to freedom as non-dependence and sees no intrinsic value in political participation. This tradition's central preoccupations are not honour and glory, but happiness (eudaimonia) and justice - defined, in Plato's terms, as the rule of the best men. This set of commitments yields as startling readiness to advocate the corrective redistribution of wealth, and even the outright abolition of private property. The Greek tradition was revived in England during the early sixteenth century and was broadly influential throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Its exponents included Sir Thomas More, James Harrington, Montesquieu and Thomas Jefferson, and it contributed significantly to the ideological underpinnings of the American Founding as well as the English Civil Wars. Tracing the influence of ancient Greek sources on the development of republican theory in Europe and America, this book argues that an important tradition of republican thought, derived from the central texts of Greek moral and political philosophy, emerged in sixteenth century England. It contributed significantly to the ideological framework of the English Civil Wars and the American Revolution. Eric Nelson offers significant reinterpretations of several central texts of European political theory, as well as a radical reappraisal of ancient Roman historiography. At the end of Sir Thomas More's Utopia the character "More" rejects Raphael Hythloday's suggestion that the Utopians have achieved the optimus reipublicae status ("the best state of a commonwealth"): When Raphael had finished his story, I was left thinking that not a few of the laws and customs he had described as existing among the Utopians were really absurd. The Greek Tradition in Republican Thought traces the influence of ancient Greek sources on the development of republican theory in Europe and America. It offers a substantial revision of standard narratives of the trajectory of republican political theory from the ancient to the modern world Eric Nelson. Includes Bibliography (p. 252-276) And Index.