James Harrington
An Intellectual Biography
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:10th Oct '19
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Despite not being an active participant in the English Civil War, seventeenth-century political thinker James Harrington exercised an important influence on the ideas and politics of that crucial period of history. In The Commonwealth of Oceana he sought to explain why civil war had broken out in 1642, to put the case for commonwealth government, and to offer a detailed constitutional blueprint for a new and successful English government. In this intellectual biography of Harrington, Rachel Hammersley sets a fresh analysis of this and Harrington's other writings against the background of his life and the turbulent period in which he lived. In doing so, this study seeks to move beyond the conventional view of Harrington as primarily a republican thinker, offering a broader and more comprehensive account of him which addresses the complexity of his republicanism as well as exploring his contributions to economic, historical, religious, philosophical, and scientific debates; his experimentation with vocabulary and literary form; and the relationship between his life and thought. Harrington is presented as an innovative political thinker, committed to democracy, social mobility, and meritocracy. Ultimately, this broader examination of Harrington's life and work opens a window on political, economic, religious, and scientific issues which serve to complicate understandings of the English Revolution, and sheds fresh light on the relevance of seventeenth-century ideas to the modern world.
Rachel Hammersley's Harringtonis an accomplished exemplar [of the genre of intellectual biography], deeply researched, and felicitously written, as fluent in the history of Stuart England as in the classical tradition. * Mark Goldie, Milton Quarterly *
...welcome new study of the mid-seventeenth century English political theorist James Harrington... * Ian Ward, Journal of Law, Literature and Culture *
...Hammersley's monograph on James Harrington is and will remain an important contribution to the history of modern political thought. * Myriam-Isabelle Ducrocq, Journal of British Studies *
This new study by the historian of ideas Rachel Hammersley has no equivalent, and it can only be hoped that this meticulous work, rich in new interpretations, inspires a revival of interest [in Harrington]. * Julien Le Mauff, La vie des Ideés Translated text *
Rachel Hammersley has given us a well-crafted, meticulously researched, and beautifully readable study of an important thinker. Her intellectual biography will be an essential resource for all students of republican political thought. * Ronald Beiner, Canadian Journal of Political Science *
It is rather uncommon of history books, but I found James Harrington: An Intellectual Biography both rewarding and entertaining to read: it combines formidable breadth with a story-telling ease...The book is a comprehensive guide to Harrington's life, but it is crisply written and succinct at every point. The book is suitable as an introduction to Harrington and his thought... As such, I would wholeheartedly recommend it. * Daniel Sutton, St John's College, The Oxonian Review *
...this book is a landmark achievement, which has the potential to reignite and broaden the interestin Harrington and inspire many future studies. * Max Skjönsberg, Global Intellectual History *
ISBN: 9780198809852
Dimensions: 240mm x 162mm x 25mm
Weight: 676g
334 pages