Calhoun's Philosophy of Politics: A Study of A Disquisition on GovernmentJohn C. Calhoun's A Disquisition on Government has been hailed since its publication in 1851 as a classic in political science and has been called the greatest work of American political theory. Guy Story Brown's Calhoun's Philosophy of Politics is the first comprehensive explication de texte of Calhoun's great work on political theory. This traditional textual analysis places Calhoun's theory within the broader context of the political philosophy he himself studied, from Aristotle to Bacon and the moderns on up to Rousseau and the Federalists. It also pays close attention to Calhoun's literary models, such as Livy. The result is the definitive interpretation of Calhoun's political philosophy and theory. This book makes Calhoun's philosophy accessible to contemporary thinkers and shows what Calhoun thought about issues such as world government. Topics discussed in Calhoun's Philosophy of Politics include nature and political science, empire and world government, political science and government, and political science and human progress. |
Contents
1 | |
4 | |
26 | |
The Text and Context of A Disquisition on Government | 34 |
Nature and Political Science | 51 |
Natural Science and the Science of Government | 52 |
The Social Nature of Mankind | 55 |
The Political Nature of Mankind | 59 |
Important Common Errors on the Subject | 188 |
Paragraphs 5398 | 197 |
Forms of Power | 198 |
Power and Reason | 199 |
Necessity and Power | 202 |
The Principles of Constitutional Government and the Preservation of the Common Interest | 207 |
The Constitutional Principle and the Perfection of the Moral Faculties | 210 |
The Constitutional Principle and the Perfection of the Intellectual and Moral Faculties | 215 |
Excursus on the Relation of Calhoun to Hegel and Marx or the German Philosophy of Freedom pp 6278 | 62 |
The Practical Necessity of Government Feelings | 79 |
The Theoretical Necessity of Government Calhouns Relation to the British and French Philosophy of Nature | 90 |
The Improbability of Constitutional Government | 104 |
Examples of Partially Successful Constitutional Governments | 113 |
Empire and World Government | 121 |
Calhoun and the History of Political Philosophy | 122 |
History and Natural Circumstances | 138 |
The Republican Constitution of Rome | 140 |
The Monarchic Constitution of Great Britain | 154 |
Comparison of the Great Constitutional Governments | 160 |
Political Science and Government | 167 |
Paragraphs 1952 | 168 |
The Action of Government and the Common Interest | 170 |
Justice and the Operation of Government | 180 |
The Principle of Constitution and the Common Interest | 182 |
Digression on the Hypothesis of the State of Nature | 223 |
The Conclusion | 234 |
The Principles of Constitution and the Promotion of Liberty | 236 |
The Principles of Constitution and the Present Condition of the World | 238 |
The Promotion of Liberty and Moral Power | 244 |
Political Science and Progress | 247 |
Common Objections as to Practicability | 250 |
Plausible Objections | 251 |
The Most Illustrative Examples of the Principles of Constitutional Government | 264 |
The New Political Element and Progress | 268 |
The Forms of Government and Constitution | 272 |
Calhoun and the New Age | 295 |
Foreword | 313 |
Afterword | 421 |
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Common terms and phrases
according to Calhoun achievement actually American Aristotle beginning Bentham Bill Britain chap Cicero civil society concurrent majority condition constitution of Poland constitutional government constitutional regimes context delivered Discourse Discourses on Livy discussion Disquisition on Government distinction doctrine equality Essay essential example existence fact February 25 government paragraph Hegel Heidegger hence highest Hobbes human nature human society Hume hypothesis individual intellectual faculties interests Iroquois J. S. Mill John John Stuart Mill less liberty Locke Marx means merely Metaphysics Mill modern monarchy Montesquieu nations necessary numerical majority opinion organism original perfection Philosophy of Right Plato plebian tribunate political philosophy political science political whole Polybius present primarily principle problem progress question reason reference Representatives Republic respect Roman Roman Republic Rome Rousseau rule science of government Senate sense Social Contract tendency things thought true ultimately understanding virtue York
Popular passages
Page 18 - If all mankind, minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.
Page 29 - It is the power which raises man above the brute - which distinguishes his faculties from mere sagacity, which he holds in common with inferior animals. It is this power which has raised the astronomer from being a mere gazer at the stars to the high intellectual eminence of a Newton or a Laplace, and astronomy itself from a mere observation of isolated facts into that noble science which displays to our admiration the system of the universe.