Selected Political Writings of Andrew Fletcher (Cambridge History of Political Thought: Facsimile Edition)

Author: (English) Andrew Fletcher
Publisher:
Publishing Time: 2003-07-01
Features: Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1653-1716) was one of the most acute observers of the European political order of his time, and an important forerunner of the Scottish Enlightenment. Famous in his own day and since for his patriotic position to the Anglo-Scottish Union of 1707, in his political thought Fletcher was an admirer of the ancients and a student of Machiavelli, who sought to adapt Machiavelli's concepts to a world increasingly shaped by commerce. His clearly written works address the fate of small nations dominated by larger ones, the concentration of power and wealth in great capital cities, and the prospects for new political union which would be to the benefit of all of Europe's regions. This is the first complete modern edition of Fletcher's works. The editor's introduction draws on new research into Fletcher's life and thought, and the annotated text enables us to appreciate for the first time the range and sharpness of Fletcher's analysis.
Author Bio: JOHN ROBERTSON is a university lecturer in modern history and a Fellow of St Hugh's College, Oxford. He has written extensively on the Anglo-Scottish Union and the Scottish Enlightenment. Most recently, the edited A Union for Empire. Political Thought and the Union of 1707 (1995).