The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh by Francis Bacon

The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh by Francis Bacon

Jerry Weinberger reinterprets Francis Bacon's History and defines its importance to the rise of modern republicanism, liberalism, and the politics of progress. His introduction describes the background of Bacon's History, placing it in the context of Bacon's 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. Weinberger's annotations establish the relationship of the text to the surviving manuscript, the first printed edition, and the Latin translation. In addition, they show Bacon's differences from the earlier historians on whom he relied, explain obsolete words, and clarify matters of historical chronology and fact. In his interpretive essay, Weinberger discusses contemporary debates on how best to approach and understand the History. He suggests that Bacon's 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 Bacon's teachings about the moral and political ends of modern progress. At its deepest level, Bacon's work reopens the ageless questions of political philosophy.

This now-obscure work is a good read, and the fascinating interpretative essay by the editor, Jerry Weinberger, makes clear that it is also a fundamental work in modern political thought

* Weekly Standard *

Jerry Weinberger is Professor of Political Science and Codirector of the Symposium on Science, Reason and Modern Democracy at Michigan State University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780801430671
ISBN 10	0801430674
Title	The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh
Author	Francis Bacon
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Cornell University Press
Year published	1996-05-02
Number of pages	272
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.