Journal article
Lord Brougham and the science of despotism
- Abstract:
- Historians know that nineteenth-century British Liberals were highly exercised about the dangers of 'despotism', but little specific attention has been given to the place of the concept in contemporary political science. This article examines one of the Victorian era's most systematic comparative analyses of 'despotic' government, as conducted by the lawyer and statesman Henry Brougham in his little-studied Political Philosophy. Published between 1842 and 1844, Brougham's unwieldy text aimed to educate British working men on the basic principles of politics, and at the same time to demolish Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws. The article argues that Brougham's vivid treatment of the workings and effects of 'despotism' was an attempt to safeguard the Whig legacy in the face of new political threats.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
Actions
Access Document
- Files:
-
-
(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 239.9KB, Terms of use)
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- Publication website:
- https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/imp/hpt/2022/00000043/00000002/art00006
Authors
- Publisher:
- Imprint Academic
- Journal:
- History of Political Thought More from this journal
- Volume:
- 43
- Issue:
- 2
- Pages:
- 328-356
- Publication date:
- 2022-05-01
- Acceptance date:
- 2021-04-01
- EISSN:
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2051-2988
- ISSN:
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0143-781X
- Language:
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English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
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1170880
- Local pid:
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pubs:1170880
- Deposit date:
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2023-03-27
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- CLA, The Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd.
- Copyright date:
- 2022
- Rights statement:
- © 2022 CLA, The Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd.
- Notes:
- This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available online from Imprint Academic at https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/imp/hpt/2022/00000043/00000002/art00006
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