John Locke (1632-1704) has a good claim to the title of the greatest ever English philosopher, and was a founding father of both the empiricist tradition in philosophy and the liberal tradition in politics. This new book provides an accessible introduction to Locke's thought. Although its primary focus is on the Essay Concerning Human Understanding, it also discusses the Two Treatises on Government, the Essay on Toleration, and the Reasonableness of Christianity, and draws on materials from Locke's correspondence and notebooks to shed light on the contexts of these major works. Locke's...

Niccolo Machiavelli remains one of the most influential thinkers of the Western political tradition, who has left his mark on every subsequent political philosopher. Politicians of the modern era also must all, sooner or later, confront the same practical dilemmas addressed by Machiavelli in his work. Despite Machiavelli's enduring popularity, five hundred years after his death, many of his ideas remain enigmatic, often quoted but poorly understood.

In this new study, Filippo Del Lucchese provides a concise introduction to this most challenging of thinkers. Placing Machiavelli...

Niccolo Machiavelli remains one of the most influential thinkers of the Western political tradition, who has left his mark on every subsequent political philosopher. Politicians of the modern era also must all, sooner or later, confront the same practical dilemmas addressed by Machiavelli in his work. Despite Machiavelli's enduring popularity, five hundred years after his death, many of his ideas remain enigmatic, often quoted but poorly understood.

In this new study, Filippo Del Lucchese provides a concise introduction to this most challenging of thinkers. Placing Machiavelli...