| Front | A Enquiry concerning political justice |
|---|---|
| Back | A libertarian philosophical treatise by William Godwin 1793 Impressed by Pain's Rights of Man 1791 place the principles of politics on an improvable basis and anihilate all oppositions Rousseauian attak on the natural rights tradition since Locke Promises according to Godwin merely postponed into a vague Future the exercise of virtue Performance of duty and the promotion of happiness and moral well being of others Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and its Influence on Morals and Happiness is a 1793 book by the philosopher William Godwin, in which the author outlines his political philosophy. It is the first modern work to expound anarchism. Quick facts: Author, Country … Background and publication Godwin began thinking about Political Justice in 1791, after the publication of Thomas Paine's Rights of Man in response to Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790). However, unlike most of the works that Burke's work spawned in the ensuing Revolution Controversy, Godwin's did not address the specific political events of the day; it addressed the underlying philosophical principles. Its length and expense (it cost over £1) made it inaccessible to the popular audience of the Rights of Man and probably protected Godwin from the persecution that other writers such as Paine experienced. Nevertheless, Godwin became a revered figure among radicals and was seen as an intellectual leader among their groups. One way in which this happened is through the many unauthorized copies of the text, the extracts printed by radical journals, and the lectures John Thelwall gave based on its ideas |
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