San Antonio College Library

The central principles of what today is broadly-known as political liberalism were made current in large part by Locke's "Second Treatise of Government" (1690). The principles of individual liberty, the rule of law, government by consent of the people, and the right to private property are taken for granted as fundamental to the human condition now. Most liberal theorists writing today look back to Locke as the source of their ideas. Some maintain...

"This timeless program scrutinizes The Republic, a work that has intrigued and infuriated for thousands of years. Was Plato's plan for an ideal city, a place where philosophers are rulers and wisdom is the cornerstone of society, a blueprint, a satire, or a bit of both? Columbia University's Bonnie Kent; Princeton University's Alexander Nehamas; Martha Nussbaum, of The University of Chicago; Thomas Pangle, of the University of Toronto; poet Joseph...

"One of the greatest works of philosophy, political theory, and literature ever produced, Plato's Republic has shaped Western thought for thousands of years and remains as relevant today as when it was written during the fourth century B.C. Republic begins by posing a central question: "What is justice, and why should we be just, especially when the wicked often seem happier and more successful?" For Plato, the answer lies with the ways people, groups,...

Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan is arguably the greatest piece of political philosophy written in the English language. Written in a time of great political turmoil (Hobbes's life spanned the reign of Charles I, the Civil Wars, the Commonwealth and the Protectorate, and the Restoration), Leviathan is an argument for obedience to authority grounded in an analysis of human nature. For this revised edition Professor Tuck has provided a much-amplified and expanded...