Ferguson: An Essay on the History of Civil Society

by Adam Ferguson, Fania Oz-Salzberger (Editor)

Overview

Adam Ferguson's Essay on the History of Civil Society (first published in 1767) is a classic of the Scottish—and European—Enlightenment. Drawing on such diverse sources as classical authors and contemporary travel literature, Ferguson combines a subtle analysis of modern commercial society with a critique of its abandonment of civic and communal virtues. Central themes in Ferguson's theory of citizenship are conflict, play, political participation and military valor. The Essay is a bold and novel attempt to reclaim the tradition of active citizenship in the modern state.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521442152
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/01/1996
Series:	Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
Edition description:	Revised ed.
Pages:	322
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.87(d)

About the Author

Fania Oz-Salzberger is Professor of History at the University of Haifa and director of the Posen Forum for Political Thought at the Faculty of Law. She has authored books and articles on the history of political thought.

Table of Contents

1. Of the general characteristics of human nature; 2. Of the history of rude nations; 3. Of the history of policy and arts; 4. Of the consequences that result from advancement of civil and commercial arts; 5. Of the decline of nations; 6. Of corruption and political slavery.