James Harrington: An Intellectual Biography

Description

Despite not being an active participant in the English Civil War, seventeenth-century political thinker James Harrington exercised an important influence on the ideas and politics of that crucial period of history. In The Commonwealth of Oceana he sought to explain why civil war had broken out in 1642, to put the case for commonwealth government, and to offer a detailed constitutional blueprint for a new and successful English government. In this intellectual biography of Harrington, Rachel Hammersley sets a fresh analysis of this and Harrington's other writings against the background of his life and the turbulent period in which he lived. In doing so, this study seeks to move beyond the conventional view of Harrington as primarily a republican thinker, offering a broader and more comprehensive account of him which addresses the complexity of his republicanism as well as exploring his contributions to economic, historical, religious, philosophical, and scientific debates; his experimentation with vocabulary and literary form; and the relationship between his life and thought. Harrington is presented as an innovative political thinker, committed to democracy, social mobility, and meritocracy. Ultimately, this broader examination of Harrington's life and work opens a window on political, economic, religious, and scientific issues which serve to complicate understandings of the English Revolution, and sheds fresh light on the relevance of seventeenth-century ideas to the modern world. James Harrington Acknowledgements Contents List of Illustrations Timeline of Harrington’s Life and Works Introduction SECTION 1: HARRINGTON THE MAN 1 The Family Man 2 The Supporter of Parliament 3 The Agent of Monarchy SECTION 2: HARRINGTON THE REPUBLICAN 4 Harrington’s Republicanism 5 The Limits of Harrington’s Republicanism SECTION 3: HARRINGTON THE INNOVATOR 6 Innovation in Substance: ‘Empire follows the Balance of Property’ 7 Innovation in Substance: Democracy 8 Innovation in Style SECTION 4: HARRINGTON THE CONTROVERSIALIST 9 Controversies Concerning Politics 10 Controversies About History 11 Controversies Concerning Religion 12 Engaging with Politicians SECTION 5: HARRINGTON THE MAN OF ACTION 13 The Rota Club 14 Life After 1660 15 Life After 1660 Bibliography Index of Names Index Conclusion