The Cambridge History of Political Thought 1450-1700

Front Cover
James Henderson Burns, Mark Goldie
Cambridge University Press, 1991 - History - 798 pages
The companion volume to the highly successful Cambridge History of Medieval Political Thought, this book presents a comprehensive account of the development of European political thinking through the Renaissance and the Reformation to the "scientific revolution" and political upheavals of the seventeenth century. Recent decades have seen intensive historical investigation and reappraisal in this field. Many established perspectives have changed; and while it would still be generally accepted that something distinctly "modern" took shape in the political thought of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, there have been important changes in our understanding of what is "medieval" and what is "modern" and of the relationship between these concepts. A highly distinguished team of contributors present a unique, authoritative guide to these developments. Full bibliographical and biographical information is provided for those wishing to pursue specific topics in greater detail.
 

Contents

Humanism and political theory
9
Italian political thought 14501530
30
Law
66
Transalpine humanism
95
survival and revival
132
Religion civil government and the debate on constitutions
157
Zwingli Bucer the young Calvin and the Reformed
182
Calvinism and resistance theory 15501580
193
Absolutism and royalism
347
ancient constitution and common law
374
Tacitism scepticism and reason of state
479
Grotius and Selden
499
Hobbes and Spinoza
530
Pufendorf
561
The reception of Hobbes
589
Locke
616

The Huguenots and the French wars of religion
206
Catholic resistance theory Ultramontanism and the royalist
219
The defence of Anglicanism
244
Bodin and his critics
298
man Empire
309
Utopianism
329
Conclusion
653
Bibliography
703
Index of names of persons
777
Index of subjects
789
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