The Limits of State Action by Wilhelm Von Humboldt

The Limits of State Action by Wilhelm Von Humboldt

This text is important both as one of the most interesting contributions to the liberalism of the German Enlightenment, and as the most significant source for the ideas which John Stuart Mill popularized in his essay On Liberty. Humboldt's concern is to define the criteria by which the permissible limits of the state's activities may be determined. His basic principle, like that of Mill, is that the only justification for government interference is the prevention of harm to others. He discusses in detail the role and limits of the state's responsibility for the welfare, security and morals of its citizens. Humboldt's special achievement in this work is to enlarge our sense of what a liberal political theory might be by his particularly sensitive grasp of the complexity of our attitudes to and our need of other people. Dr Burrow has based his translation on Coulthard's version of 1854. In an important introduction, he provides a most perceptive as well as scholarly guide to Humboldt's political thought.

Philip Mattson, Heidelberg.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521103428
ISBN 10	0521103428
Title	The Limits of State Action
Author	Wilhelm Von Humboldt
Series	Cambridge Studies In The History And Theory Of Politics
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	2008-12-11
Number of pages	192
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable