{"product_id":"the-principles-of-moral-and-political-philosophy-hardcover","title":"The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eWilliam Paley\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis classic work by William Paley was one of the most popular books in England and America in the early nineteenth century. Its significance lies in the fact that it marks an important point at which eighteenth-century \"whiggism\" began to be transformed into nineteenth-century \"liberalism.\"\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst published in 1785, Paley's \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePrinciples of Moral and Political Philosophy\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e was originally based on his Cambridge lectures of 1766-1776. It was designed for instructional purposes and was almost immediately adopted as a required text for all undergraduates at Cambridge.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe great popularity of Paley's \u003cem\u003ePrinciples\u003c\/em\u003eis perhaps due in part to the author's remarkable gift for clear exposition. Even today, this work is very readable and easily comprehended. But the popularity of the book also reflected the fact that Paley expressed some of the leading scientific, theological, and ethical ideas of his time and place. In this respect, Paley's great classic provides valuable insight into the Anglo-American mind of the early nineteenth century and helps us better understand the thinking processes and evolving concepts of liberty and virtue that were displacing the old \"whiggism\" of the preceding century.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs editor D. L. Le Mahieu states, \"To Paley, the undeniable demands of self interest coincided rather than conflicted with the needs of society.\" Paley believed that \"it was the utility of any moral rule alone which determined obligation.\" In his political theory, Paley rejected social contract theory and substituted instead a natural history of civil society. His opposition to electoral reform, and, later, the French Revolution, \"became part of a larger ideological discourse that helped the British elites withstand the revolutionary currents of the 1790s.\"\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eD. L. Le Mahieu\u003c\/strong\u003e is Hotchkiss Presidential Professor at Lake Forest College in Illinois. He is also the author of \u003cem\u003eThe Mind of William Paley: A Philosopher and His Age\u003c\/em\u003e (1976) and \u003cem\u003eA Culture for Democracy\u003c\/em\u003e (1988).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 525\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 x 9.6 x 6.6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 11, 2002\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51758046019872,"sku":"9780865973800","price":30.24,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/ed868391ee0aa10bb05238bfeb928710_711591bd-c564-40d5-8946-3b06c831ebcc.webp?v=1780117094","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-principles-of-moral-and-political-philosophy-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}