Ferguson: An Essay on the History of Civil Society

By Adam Ferguson

Book Overview

Adam Ferguson's Essay on the History of Civil Society (first published in 1767) is a classic of the Scottish--and European--Enlightenment. Drawing on such diverse sources as classical authors and contemporary travel literature, Ferguson combines a subtle analysis of modern commercial society with a critique of its abandonment of civic and communal virtues. Central themes in Ferguson's theory of citizenship are conflict, play, political participation and military valor. The Essay is a bold and novel attempt to reclaim the tradition of active citizenship in the modern state.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521447364
• ISBN13: 9780521447362
• Release Date: February 1996
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.6"