Abstract

No one can fail to be impressed by Paul Rahe's magnificent contribution to the history of political theory. With almost eight hundred pages of text and over four hundred pages of notes and elaborate index, it is an indispensable reference for scholars concerned with classical political philosophy and its ramifications for the West, particularly in America. The volume's three books--"The Ancien Regime," "New Modes and Orders", and "Inventions of Prudence"--present reflective accounts of ancient republicanism, early modern political philosophers, and the American novus ordo seclorum, respectively. A historian by training, Rahe displays an impressive command of the scholarship in both political philosophy and political history. It is a rare scholar who would not profit from this book.