Abstract

Although my book focuses primarily on individual political thinkers, it is written so that each chapter develops a theme arising from a previous one. It is three-dimensional, with the first dimension being chronology. The second dimension is found in recurring themes, such as human nature, different views of justice, the origin of society and law, the rise and development of various forms of government, the role of idealism and realism in international relations, and the sources of public authority and the nature of legitimate sovereignty. The third dimension consists of topics, such as freedom, equality, power, authority, legitimacy, justice, sovereignty, happiness, natural law, and human rights.