Although vastly influential in German-speaking Europe, conceptual history (Begriffsgeschichte) ha... more Although vastly influential in German-speaking Europe, conceptual history (Begriffsgeschichte) has until now received little attention in English. This genre of intellectual history differs from both the French history of mentalites and the Anglophone history of discourses by positing the concept - the key occupier of significant syntactical space - as the object of historical investigation. Contributions by distinguished practitioners and critics of conceptual history from Europe and America illustrate both the distinctiveness and diversity of the genre. The first part of the book is devoted to the origins and identity of the field, as well as methodological issues. Part two presents exemplary studies focusing either on a particular concept (such as Maurizio Viroli's 'Reason of the State') or a particular approach to conceptual history (e.g. Bernard Scholz for literary criticism and Terence Ball for political science). The final, most innovative section of the book look...
J.S. Mill's main contributions to social science lay in three areas: political economy, polit... more J.S. Mill's main contributions to social science lay in three areas: political economy, political philosophy, and the philosophy of social science. The major works identified with these three fields are Principles of Political Economy , On Utilitarianism , On Liberty , Considerations on Representative Government , and his Logic . Although educated in classical utilitarianism – the view that the criterion of moral and political rectitude was the pursuit of the greatest happiness for the greatest number – Mill is famous for his critical adjustments to it, expressed particularly in his essay On Liberty , where he advocated political arrangements that maximize the freedom of the individual. In many of his works he stressed and explored the significance of historical processes – sensitivity to which had been absent from his utilitarian predecessors' aspiration to create a purely deductive social science, and increasingly from the liberal political economists who would claim his legacy. Mill's iconic status as a liberal has made his intellectual legacy a site of fierce ideological contestation.
Carl Schmitt's critique of liberalism includes a specific attack on the philosophical coheren... more Carl Schmitt's critique of liberalism includes a specific attack on the philosophical coherence of the rule of law as a component of constitutional sovereignty, a view he identifies with the wider liberal tradition. Despite his associations with Nazism it has been taken up recently by post-modern critics of Liberalism. This article analyses Schmitt's claims and then compares them with what representative liberals actually say about the rule of law. The finding is that at least two major thinkers -- Locke and Burke -- show none of the ignorance or naivete with which Schmitt charges the tradition. Concepts such as the exception are recognised and included in their political analyses -- but, unlike Schmitt, not in their prescriptions.
Although vastly influential in German-speaking Europe, conceptual history (Begriffsgeschichte) ha... more Although vastly influential in German-speaking Europe, conceptual history (Begriffsgeschichte) has until now received little attention in English. This genre of intellectual history differs from both the French history of mentalites and the Anglophone history of discourses by positing the concept - the key occupier of significant syntactical space - as the object of historical investigation. Contributions by distinguished practitioners and critics of conceptual history from Europe and America illustrate both the distinctiveness and diversity of the genre. The first part of the book is devoted to the origins and identity of the field, as well as methodological issues. Part two presents exemplary studies focusing either on a particular concept (such as Maurizio Viroli's 'Reason of the State') or a particular approach to conceptual history (e.g. Bernard Scholz for literary criticism and Terence Ball for political science). The final, most innovative section of the book look...
J.S. Mill's main contributions to social science lay in three areas: political economy, polit... more J.S. Mill's main contributions to social science lay in three areas: political economy, political philosophy, and the philosophy of social science. The major works identified with these three fields are Principles of Political Economy , On Utilitarianism , On Liberty , Considerations on Representative Government , and his Logic . Although educated in classical utilitarianism – the view that the criterion of moral and political rectitude was the pursuit of the greatest happiness for the greatest number – Mill is famous for his critical adjustments to it, expressed particularly in his essay On Liberty , where he advocated political arrangements that maximize the freedom of the individual. In many of his works he stressed and explored the significance of historical processes – sensitivity to which had been absent from his utilitarian predecessors' aspiration to create a purely deductive social science, and increasingly from the liberal political economists who would claim his legacy. Mill's iconic status as a liberal has made his intellectual legacy a site of fierce ideological contestation.
Carl Schmitt's critique of liberalism includes a specific attack on the philosophical coheren... more Carl Schmitt's critique of liberalism includes a specific attack on the philosophical coherence of the rule of law as a component of constitutional sovereignty, a view he identifies with the wider liberal tradition. Despite his associations with Nazism it has been taken up recently by post-modern critics of Liberalism. This article analyses Schmitt's claims and then compares them with what representative liberals actually say about the rule of law. The finding is that at least two major thinkers -- Locke and Burke -- show none of the ignorance or naivete with which Schmitt charges the tradition. Concepts such as the exception are recognised and included in their political analyses -- but, unlike Schmitt, not in their prescriptions.
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Papers by Iain Hampsher-Monk