POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY BY FRANCIS WILLIAM COKER, Ph.D. PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE IN OHIO New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1914 PREFACE In guiding college classes in the study of political theories the writer has found that the interest of students is manifested more naturally and fruitfully when they read directly from original works than when they rely solely upon historical and expository treatises. For many important works this reading at first-hand is not generally practicable, because they are not in libraries accessible to most readers, or because they are not available in satisfactory translations. The aim of this volume is to furnish a handy collection of readings from foremost political philosophers. In furtherance of this design it has seemed wise to include substantial parts of a few preeminent works rather than to cover a wide range of writings with brief passages from each. It is believed that reading according to the former, rather than the latter, plan will give the student the more realistic impression, and the more effective command, of fundamental political ideas, and will lead him to a more coherent, if less detailed, view of the evolution of political thought. In order to confine the matter within a single volume writers later than Bentham have been omitted; in this period, speaking generally, philosophical discussions of politics either are exhaustive disquisitions upon fragments of the subject (e.g. Thomas Hill Green) or they form subordinate parts of comprehensive systems of thought (e.g. Auguste Comte); for a volume of readings from works of the nineteenth century, a plan of selection somewhat different from that followed in this work would be necessary. The primary purpose of this work will be fulfilled if it supplies helpful illustrations for such general histories of political philosophy as those by Dunning, Pollock, Janet, Willoughby and Bluntschli. These and other general treatises, besides special works of exposition and criticism, are cited in references appended to each selection. The lists of references are obviously not exhaustive. They are intended to guide the reader to the particular works to which he may most profitably go for full discussions; so that for each selection he may obtain a setting and interpretation more satisfactory than is provided by the slight introductions of this volume. The topics in the table of contents are headings supplied by the writer for his subdivisions of each selection. |