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Audiobooks Narrated by Travis Hardison
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In his Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx argued that history flows inevitably toward a social revolution, which will result in a society without economic classes. Rousseau’s Social Contract fanned the flames of the French Revolution with his controversial explanation of social authority as an implied contract between people and government.
In the middle and late 1800's, a group of German university professors developed the study of economics as a historical discipline, emphasizing careful analysis of real-world circumstances rather than abstract "principles" and "laws". Led by Gustav von Schmoller (1838-1917), these professors denounced the abstract theories of classical economists and their ideas of "natural law", believing that these ideas had very little empirical foundation and offered no solutions to pressing social problems under laissez faire. These German scholars feared Marxist agitation and the socialist takeover of Germany, seeking instead a middle ground between laissez faire and possible Marxist revolution. They pressed for social welfare legislation that would relieve the misery of the underprivileged; they wanted to preserve the market economy, parliamentary democracy, and private ownership of the means of production. This welfare legislation passed in the 1880's, and has been emulated in Scandinavia, the United States, and other countries.
The Prince - Machiavelli wrote The Prince for his ruler as a guide for gaining and keeping power. Central themes of his essay are the relation between politics and ethics; what the best form of government consists of; the importance of the Church; and the growth of Italy as a nation-state. The word "Machiavellian" often suggests sinister motives, but some scholars question this traditional interpretation. Discourse on Voluntary Servitude - Boetie, an unfamiliar figure in modern times, lived in 16th Century France during the birth of the nation-state, the rise of absolute monarchy, and intense religious and civil wars. He examines the psychology of political obedience; the structure and specific mechanisms of state authority; the motives of those who obey and those who command; and the phenomenon of obedience in the absence of force.
This presentation explores the social and political turmoil during which Leviathan was written, including an examination of the radical political philosophies spawned by opposition to the Stuart monarchy in England. It explains the materialistic foundation of Hobbes' philosophy and how this influenced his theory of man, society, and government. Special attention is paid to Hobbes' theory of the "state of nature", the social contract, and the governmental sovereignty. The right of resistance against unjust laws and the right to liberty of conscience also are discussed.
Reflections on the Revolution in France is a slashing attack on the French Revolution by one of Britain's most famous statesmen. Liberty and social order, Burke argues, are maintained by the traditional rights and duties embedded in custom and law. And when these traditions are overthrown in revolutions, society is threatened with chaos, bloodshed and despotism. Rights of Man - Thomas Paine believed the French Revolution was based on the same principles as the American Revolution: natural rights, an implied "social contract", and the right of revolution against oppressive governments. Paine, unlike Burke, sees government as the primary threat to social order. He has little regard for traditional institutions, if those institutions are oppressive and unjust.
The US Constitution was approved by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787. It was to become law only if it was ratified by nine of the thirteen states. New York was a key state, but it contained strong forces opposing the Constitution. A series of eighty-five letters appeared in New York City newspapers between October 1787 and August 1788 urging support for the Constitution. These letters remain the first and most authoritative commentary on the American concept of federal government. Later known as The Federalist Papers, they were published under the pseudonym 'Publius,' although written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. This presentation explores the major arguments contained in The Federalist Papers and contrasts them with the views of the Anti-Federalists.
In 1831, the French nobleman, Alexis de Tocqueville, journeyed to America to examine a new political force: democracy. Although alarmed by "the tyranny of the majority", Tocqueville believed that democracy was destined to supplant the decaying aristocracy of France. Tocqueville asked: Is the tendency toward equality a tendency toward liberty? Can the majority be restrained to protect the freedom of individuals and minorities? In pondering these questions, Tocqueville presented an unsurpassed picture of American government, culture and attitudes. He proclaimed a new nation with a new theory of human interaction: America, ruled by the will of the majority. But what sort of human being would this society produce? And could democratic man prosper in Europe?
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