Описание: Jerry Weinberger reinterprets the meaning of Francis Bacons History and defines its importance to the rise of modern republicanism, liberalism and the politics of progress. His introduction describes the background of Bacons History placing it in the context of Bacons work and the sources he may have used. Weinberger comments on the changing reputation and interpretation of The History and discusses its significance as a work of early modern political philosophy.
The text of The History follows, accompanied by extensive explanatory footnotes. Weinbergers annotations establish the relationship of text to the surviving manuscript, the first printed edition, and the Latin translation. In addition, they show Bacons differences from the earlier historians on whom he relied, explaining obsolete words, and clarifying matters of historical chronology and fact.
In his interpretive essay, Weinberger discusses contemporary debates on how best to approach and understand The History. He suggest that Bacons apparently contradictory work is a subtle and seamless picture of the modern state. The History is not just an account of the first Tudor monarch, Weinberger claims; it also presents Bacons teachings about the moral and political ends of modern progress. At its deepest level, Bacons work addresses the justification of modern times and reopens the ageless questions of political philosophy.
