Moderate Liberalism and the Scottish Enlightenment

Constantine Christos Vassiliou is Civitas Research Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a political theorist and historian of ideas specialising in Enlightenment political thought. He is the co-editor and wrote the introductory chapter for Liberal Education and Citizenship in a Free Society (MU Press), a book that examines the relationship between liberal education and socially responsible citizenship in the United States. He is also a chapter contributor and co-editor (w/ Jeffrey Church and Alin Fumurescu) of The Spirit of Montesquieu’s Persian Letters (Lexington Press).

• AcknowledgementsPreface A Liberal Framework for Inspiring Magnanimity in the Modern Commercial World Introduction Montesquieu’s Moderate Liberalism and the Scottish EnlightenmentChapter 1. From High Society to High Finance: ‘John Law’s System and the Spectre of Modern Despotism' Chapter 2. ‘Real Wealth’ vs. ‘Fictional Wealth’ in an Age of High Finance: Montesquieu, Hume and Smith Chapter 3. ‘Ancient Prudence' Vs. ‘Modern Prudence': Montesquieu’s Response to James HarringtonChapter 4. Montesquieu and Hume’s English and French AffinitiesChapter 5. Liberty and Honour in Britain and FranceChapter 6. Montesquieu’s HonourChapter 7. A Liberal Art for the Commercial World: Adam Smith and Adam FergusonConclusion Moderate Liberalism for a Commercial World in TransitionBibliography

Constantine Vassiliou’s ambitious book offers its readers a timely opportunity to reexamine Montesquieu’s complex ideas on finance, commerce, honor, and liberty in the context of his engagement with the ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment. It starts from the impact of the events related to John Law’s system on Montesquieu’s intellectual formation and puts his ideas in dialogue with Adam Smith, David Hume, and Adam Ferguson. Vassiliou admirably succeeds in shedding fresh light on the complexity of Montesquieu’s liberalism and invites us to rethink the importance of political moderation for addressing our contemporary economic and political challenges.