Podcast: God and the State

This article provides a brief biography of Nietzsche, an overview of his thought, and brief consideration of his impact on later thought.

Spencer was initially best known for developing and applying evolutionary theory to philosophy, psychology and the study of society — what he called his 'synthetic philosophy'.

"Frank Turner, John Hay Whitney Professor of History and the director of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, describes the life and writings of Alexis de Tocqueville, the nineteenth century French political philosopher best known for his work Democracy in America, published in 1835."

An audio reading of Mikhail Bakunin's God and the State.

American political activist Lysander Spooner defends the concept of jury nullification in this essay.

Tocqueville's famous analysis of the American economic and political system, as he observed during his travels of the country in the 1830s.

This book discussed the idea of authority in society and in economic systems

These are the lectures given by the great English classical liberal historian, Lord Acton, in the academic years 1899-1901 at Cambridge University. It is a survey of modern history from the rise of the modern nation state to the American Revolution.

In this encyclical, Pope Leo XIII argues that true liberty can only exist within bounds of morality and law, without which "the freedom of our will would be our ruin.

At this point, Tocqueville’s discussion of private charity as opposed to public relief takes on added significance, for it confirms one of the main themes of Democracy in America: the importance of civil society.

Although Lysander Spooner had strongly opposed slavery and defended the Constitution before the Civil War, after it he argued "On the part of the North, the war was carried on, not to liberate slaves.... The principle, on which the war was waged by the North, was simply this: That men may rightfully be compelled to submit to, and support, a government that they do not want; and that resistance, on their part, makes them traitors and criminals." He argued that while slavery is wrong, the Southern states had a right to secede. By forcing them to remain in the Union, the government had effectively renounced the compact of the Constitution, he argued.

"Classic essay by Thoreau explaining why he went to jail rather than submit to a tax he felt unjust, Civil Disobedience served as inspiration to both Gandhi and Tolstoy and continues to be regarded as a definitive statement of the rights of the individual within the state."

During the wars of the French Revolution Kant was inspired by the Treaty of Basel to contemplate how both self-interest and international cooperation might bring an end to war. This edition is interesting because it was published during World War One."

"We must make land common property," argued this American political economist in this book, first published in 1879. Land is inherently the property of all, he argued, and so he advocated a "single tax" on the unimproved value of land.

The Revolutionary Catechism was meant to provide new members an idea of what would have to be accomplished; it does not describe the anarchist ideal but lists steps towards realizing it.

This page collects a number of his writings on political significance.

Kropotkin argues that feudalism and capitalism create scarcity and poverty. He advocates an economic system based on voluntary cooperation, asserting that the tendency for mutual aid already exists in society.

This volume contains both parts of Lord Acton's "History of Freedom" lecture series, and other essays on history and religious and political liberty.

In this lecture, Lord Acton continues the history of liberty he began in his "History of Freedom in Antiquity," He argues that "religious liberty is the generating principle of civil, and that civil liberty is the necessary condition of religious." Christianity provided the idea that the king was subject to a higher authority and is under the law, which provided the basis for limited government. Religious liberty and freedom of conscience are thus the foundation of liberty.

In this book, Tolstoy lays out a plan of society based on literal interpretations of certain Gospel texts.

Originally a letter to the editor in Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country, this essay was written by Mill as a response to Thomas Carlyle's argument that blacks were naturally inferior, and thus naturally subordinate to whites. Mill argues that this is not true, but that even if it was, would not justify the deprivations of liberty which Carlyle suggests.

This book provides a materialist and Marxist view of the origin of the family, asserting that neither the nuclear family, the state, or private property are natural institutions, but simply adaptations of a particular period of social evolution.

A lecture Kropotkin intended to give in Paris. He was prevented from giving his lecture because of French fear his speech would insight riots, while France attempted to ally itself with Russia.

In this essay, Lysander Spooner defends private letter carrier project by arguing that the right to establish a post office did not give Congress authority to prevent anyone else from doing the same.

This is the first of Nietzsche's major works on ethics.

This book was written by Thoreau during his experiment in "simple living." It has influenced various environmental, sustainable living, and simple living movements.

This collection includes the "Manifesto of the Communist Party," the Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, the "Notes on Adolph Wagner," and other lesser-known writings of Marx.

The texts highlight Nietzsche’s political views and political thought from his youth to his final writings of 1888.

MacAulay's historical accounts influenced the political debate of the Victorian era, presenting a Whig view of the Glorious Revolution and succeeding events which molded British self-perception and subsequent political thought.

A collection of letters and essays that represent Marx's thinking.

On this site you can read and search the full texts of more than 6000 of Darwin’s letters, and find information on 9,000 more.