This comprehensive study of Godwin's philosophy establishes the central importance of his ideas to modern social and political thought, correcting in the process certain widespread misinterpretations. Professor Clark reassesses Godwin's determinism, his doctrine of perfectibility, his utilitarianism, his theory of rights, his view of political action, and other important topics. The book begins with a discussion of the metaphysical and epistemological bases of Godwin's philosophy and then analyzes the nature of his ethical theory and the application of his philosophical principles to social and political issues. In a concluding section, his place in the history of anarchist theory is clarified. The author draws on all of Godwin's writings, including both strictly philosophical works and literary and historical essays, taking an approach to them that is expository, analytical, and critical. Originally published in 1977. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

William Godwin (1756–1836) was one of the first exponents of utilitarianism and the first modern proponent of anarchism. He was not only a radical philosopher but a pioneer in libertarian education, a founder of communist economics, and an acute and powerful novelist whose literary family included his partner, pioneering feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, and his daughter Mary Godwin (later Mary Shelley), who would go on to write Frankenstein and marry the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. His long life straddled two centuries. Not only did he live at the center of radical and intellectual London during the French Revolution, he also commented on some of the most significant changes in modern history. Shaped by the Enlightenment, he became a key figure in English Romanticism. This work offers for the first time a handy collection of Godwin’s key writings in a clear and concise form, together with an assessment of his influence, a biographical sketch, and an analysis of his contribution to anarchist theory and practice. The selections are taken from all of Godwin’s writings including his groundbreaking work during the French Revolution, An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, and arranged by editor Peter Marshall to give a coherent account of his thought for the general reader. Godwin’s work will be of interest to all those who believe that rationality, truth, happiness, individuality, equality, and freedom are central concerns of human enquiry and endeavor.

William Godwin-husband of Mary Wollstonecraft, father of Mary Shelley, friend of Coleridge, Lamb, Hazlitt, and mentor of Wordsworth, Southey, and Shelley-has been recently recognized as an original moral and revolutionary thinker and a novelist of great skill, a man whose influence was far wider than is usually assumed. In a new biography of this flamboyant and fascinating character, Marshall places Godwin in his social, political, and historical context, traces the development of his ideas, and critically analyzes his works. Marshall steers his course.with unfailing sensitivity and skill. It is hard to see how the task could have been better done.-Michael Foot, The Observer An ambitious study that offers a thorough exploration of Godwin's life and complex times.-Linda Simon, Library Journal

The influence of anarchists such as Proudhon and Bakunin is apparent in Jean-Paul Sartres' political writings, from his early works of the 1920s to Critique of Dialectical Reason, his largest political piece. Yet, scholarly debate overwhelmingly concludes that his political philosophy is a Marxist one. In this landmark study, William L. Remley sheds new light on the crucial role of anarchism in Sartre's writing, arguing that it fundamentally underpins the body of his political work. Sartre's political philosophy has been infrequently studied and neglected in recent years. Introducing newly translated material from his early oeuvre, as well as providing a fresh perspective on his colossal Critique of Dialectical Reason, this book is a timely re-invigoration of this topic. It is only in understanding Sartre's anarchism that one can appreciate the full meaning not only of the Critique, but of Sartre's entire political philosophy. This book sets forth an entirely new approach to Sartre's political philosophy by arguing that it espouses a far more radical anarchist position than has been previously attributed to it. In doing so, Jean-Paul Sartre's Anarchist Philosophy not only fills an important gap in Sartre scholarship but also initiates a much needed revision of twentieth century thought from an anarchist perspective.

Although there have been a few historical accounts of the anarchist school movement, there has been no systematic work on the philosophical underpinnings of anarchist educational ideas - until now. Anarchism and Education offers a philosophical account of the neglected tradition of anarchist thought on education. Although few anarchist thinkers wrote systematically on education, this analysis is based largely on a reconstruction of the educational thought of anarchist thinkers gleaned from their various ethical, philosophical and popular writings. Primarily drawing on the work of the nineteenth century anarchist theorists such as Bakunin, Kropotkin and Proudhon, the book also covers twentieth century anarchist thinkers such as Noam Chomsky, Paul Goodman, Daniel Guerin and Colin Ward. This original work will interest philosophers of education and educationalist thinkers as well as those with a general interest in anarchism.

Examining the political theory of anarchism from a philosophical and historical perspective, Paul McLaughlin relates anarchism to the fundamental ethical and political problem of authority. The book pays particular attention to the authority of the state and the anarchist rejection of all traditional claims made for the legitimacy of state authority, the author both explaining and defending the central tenets of the anarchist critique of the state. The founding works of anarchist thought, by Godwin, Proudhon and Stirner, are explored and anarchism is examined in its historical context, including the influence of such events as the Enlightenment and the French Revolution on anarchist thought. Finally, the major theoretical developments of anarchism from the late-nineteenth century to the present are summarized and evaluated. This book is both a highly readable account of the development of anarchist thinking and a lucid and well-reasoned defence of the anarchist philosophy.

From William Morris to Oscar Wilde to George Orwell left-libertarian thought has long been an important but neglected part of British cultural and political history. This work seeks to recover that indigenous anarchist tradition. It argues that a recovered anarchist tradition could be a touchstone for contemporary political radicals.