The evolution of states: An introduction to English politics
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| The evolution of states by J. M Robertson |
The following treatise is an expansion, under a new title, of one originally published (1900) under the name of An Introduction to English Politics. Several friendly reviewers of that work objected, not unjustly, that its title was something of a misnomer or at least an imperfect indication of its contents.
It had, as a matter of fact, originated remotely in a lecture delivered as preliminary to a course on " Modem English Politicians" (from Bohngbroke to Gladstone), the aim of the prefatory address being to trace in older politics, home and foreign, general laws which should partly serve as guides to modern cases, or at least as preparation for their scientific study; while the main course dealt with modem political problems as they have arisen in the careers and been handled by the measures of modern English statesmen.
It was that opening exposition, developed into an essay, and published as a series of magazine articles, that had been further expanded into this treatise, by way of covering the ground more usefully; and the original name is therefore retained as a sub-title.
It is perhaps unnecessary to explain that the book makes no pretension to being a complete or systematic treatment of political history, or of political forms and theories. The object in the view from the first has been, not the technical anatomy or documentary history of institutions, but the bringing into the light of the ruling forces in all political life, ancient and modem alike. It seeks to help the reader to fulfil the precept of Montaigne : " Qu'il ne luy apprenne pas tant les histoires qu'd enjuger."
Since it was first written, there has been so much fresh sociological study of history that I need not repeat the justification originally offered for my undertaking. Alike as to ancient and modern history, the effort of scholars is now more and more towards a comprehension of historic causation in terms of determining conditions, the economic above all; so much so that I have profited somewhat in my revision from various recent works, and might with more leisure have done so more fully. Revised as it is, however, the book may serve to expound views of history that are still not generally accepted and to call into question fallacious formulas which seem to me still unduly common.
some contents of the book:
Part 1 POLITICAL FORCES IN ANCIENT HISTORY
Chap. I. — The Subject-Matter ----- i
II— Roman Political Evolution - - - - 8
III— Greek Political Evolution - - - - 36
IV. — The Laws op Socio-Political development - 54
Part II. ECONOMIC FORCES IN ANCIENT HISTORY
Chap. I.— Roman Economic Evolution - - - - 75
n.— Greek Economic Evolution - - - - 98
Part III. CULTURE FORCES IN ANTIQUITY
Chap. I.— Greece ------- 121
II.— The Saracens - - - - - - 146
III .— Rome -------- 158
Epilogue— A General View of Decadence - - - 170
Part IV. THE CASE OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLICS
Note on Literature - - - - - - - I8I
Chap. I.— The Beginnings - - - - - - 183
II . — The Social ant) Political Evolution - - 209
III.— The Political Collapse - - - - - 233
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The book contains 505 pages
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