Author:Larry Siedentop
The new book from Larry Siedentop, acclaimed author of Democracy in Europe, Inventing the Individual is a highly original rethinking of how our moral beliefs were formed and their impact on western society today
'Magisterial, timeless, beautifully written ... Siedentop has achieved something quite extraordinary. He has explained us to ourselves' Spectator
This ambitious and stimulating book describes how a moral revolution in the first centuries AD - the discovery of human freedom and its universal potential - led to a social revolution in the west. The invention of a new, equal social role, the individual, gradually displaced the claims of family, tribe and caste as the basis of social organisation. Larry Siedentop asks us to rethink the evolution of the ideas on which modern societies and government are built, and argues that the core of what is now our system of beliefs emerged much earlier than we think. The roots of liberalism - belief in individual liberty, in the fundamental moral equality of individuals, that equality should be the basis of a legal system and that only a representative form of government is fitting for such a society - all these, Siedentop argues, were pioneered by Christian thinkers of the Middle Ages, who drew on the moral revolution carried out by the early church. It was the arguments of canon lawyers, theologians and philosophers from the eleventh to the fourteenth century, rather than the Renaissance, that laid the foundation for liberal democracy.
There are large parts of the world where other beliefs flourish - fundamentalist Islam, which denies the equality of women and is often ambiguous about individual rights and representative institutions; quasi-capitalist China, where a form of utilitarianism enshrines state interests even at the expense of justice and liberty. Such beliefs may foster populist forms of democracy. But they are not liberal. In the face of these challenges, Siedentop urges that understanding the origins of our own liberal ideas is more than ever an important part of knowing who we are.
LARRY SIEDENTOP was appointed to the first post in intellectual history ever established in Britain, at Sussex University in the 1970's. From there he moved to Oxford, becoming Faculty Lecturer in Political Thought and a Fellow of Keble College. His writings include a study of Tocqueville, an edition of Guizot's History of Civilization in Europe, and Democracy in Europe, which has been translated into a dozen languages. Siedentop was made CBE in 2004.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK
'One of the most stimulating books of political theory to have appeared in many years ... a refreshingly unorthodox account of the roots of modern liberalism in medieval Christian thinking' John Gray, Literary Review
'A brave, brilliant and beautifully written defence of the western tradition' Paul Lay, History Today
'An engrossing book of ideas ... illuminating, beautifully written and rigorously argued' Kenan Malik, Independent
'A most impressive work of philosophical history' Robert Skidelsky
Magisterial, timeless, beautifully written ... Siedentop has achieved something quite extraordinary. He has explained us to ourselves
—— SpectatorOne of the most stimulating books of political theory to have appeared in many years ... a refreshingly unorthodox account of the roots of modern liberalism in medieval Christian thinking
—— John Gray , Literary ReviewA brave, brilliant and beautifully written defence of the western tradition
—— Paul Lay , History TodayThoroughly interesting and fundamentally convincing ... admirably nuanced ... formidable ... Inventing the Individual is written with effortless lucidity
—— Jeffrey Collins , TLSAn engrossing book of ideas ... illuminating, beautifully written and rigorously argued
—— Kenan Malik , IndependentA most impressive work of philosophical history
—— Robert SkidelskyZareer Masani is one of those rare historians who conveys insight and detail in a highly readable style as a result of of which his books are both thought-provoking and eye-opening
—— Karan ThaparWriting with his customary elegance and insight, Masani goes beyond the stereotypes of Macaulay to show a difficult, complicated and very human man who, for better or worse, left his mark on both India and Britain. A thoroughly enjoyable and very welcome biography
—— Margaret MacMillanSplendid and original
—— Daniel Johnson , StandpointA lively overview, which eschews a linear narrative in favour of flashbacks to John's earlier life and which offers a damning indictment of the king in the conclusion.
—— History TodayMorris is more than the master of his sources: he engages with them and brings his sharp critical intelligence to bear on them. His writing is clear, incisive and spiced time and again by a bon mot. This is by far the best book on the monarch's reign since W L Warren's trail-blazing biography, King John, written in 1961 - with the literary bravura of which Morris' book may not unfavourably be compared.
—— BBC History Magazine[A] magisterial biography ... Will surely become the book of choice on this fated reign for years to come.
—— BBC History MagazineA multi-layered book that demands time to read and be digested but rewards by giving one plenty to chew on
—— ObserverExcellent. The Edge of the World does what good non-fiction should, in making the reader see the world in a different light
—— Scotland on SundayAn inspiring book, full of surprises . . . this is the kind of book that can open up new vistas. It might just rekindle a sense that Britain really is a North Sea nation and not just a rootless post-Imperium searching for a niche in the global emporium
—— IndependentBristling, wide-ranging and big-themed ... Pye's view of the North Sea and European history succeeds in reorienting our thinking about the past
—— New York Times Book ReviewA joy to read and reread. Pye challenges all our notions of the Dark Ages and shows the vast accomplishments completed long before the Renaissance. This book must be ranked right up there with the works of Mark Kurlansky and Thomas Cahill as a primer of the steps that led to modern civilization
—— Kirkus, starred reviewRefreshing. Pye excels at painting a unique portrait of the political, economic, and cultural transformation that has occurred on the shores of the North Sea. His frequent use of primary sources as well as fictional literary works gives the work an ethereal nature
—— Library JournalAn eye-opening reexamination of of Europe during the Dark Ages, and delightfully accessible. Pye's style is leisurely yet authoritative, scholarly but engaging; his approach resembles that of a docent leading a group through a vast museum, with each section devoted to a different aspect of society
—— Publishers WeeklyWhite’s book is a true piece of art
—— Susannah Perkins , NudgeA sparkling and fascinating account
—— David E. HoffmanWell-paced narrative...of great relevance today, when such conflicts seem (but only seem) to have disappeared.
—— Richard Pevear and Larissa VolokhonskyImmensely compelling
—— Fred Hiatt , The Pat BankerMeticulously researched
—— Duncan White , Irish IndependentThe true strength of this meticulously researched book is the placing of the revelations into the context of a compelling human drama
—— Weekly TelegraphEngrossing
—— Andrew Lynch , Sunday Business Post[An] outstanding treasure of literature
—— Market OracleImpeccably researched, and moving, this book breaks new ground
—— 5 stars , Sunday Telegraph
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