Political Authority

This book compiles Peter Winch’s previously unpublished manuscripts on political philosophy, together with editorial notes and references to relevant literature.

This volume makes available Peter Winch’s previously unpublished manuscripts on political philosophy. Editorial notes and an interpretive essay show the development of Winch’s thinking over time and situate the manuscripts within the broader context of Winch’s work.

Peter Winch (1926–1997) was one of the most important philosophers of his generation. Although best known for his work in social science and the interpretation of Ludwig Wittgenstein, he had a long-standing interest in ethics and political philosophy and was writing a book on political philosophy at the time of his death. This volume collects together Winch’s previously unpublished manuscripts on political philosophy, alongside an editorial introduction which outlines the development of his thought over the course of his life. It demonstrates the originality and enduring relevance of Winch's philosophical work to perennial issues concerning the nature and justification of political authority.