William Penn: Political Writings

Andrew R. Murphy is Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. His work on Penn has spanned several decades, including a biography, William Penn: A Life (2019), and the first study of Penn's political thought in fifty years, Liberty, Conscience, and Toleration (2016).

• Acknowledgments; Introduction; Note on the Texts; Part I. Political Liberties: 1. The Peoples Ancient and Just Liberties Asserted (1670); 2. Englands Present Interest Discover'd (1675); 3. England's great interest in the choice of this Parliament (1679); 4. The Great and Popular Objection Against the Repeal of the Penal Laws and Tests (1688); Part II. Toleration and Liberty of Conscience: 5. The Great Case of Liberty of Conscience (1670); 6. The Proposed Comprehension (1673); 7. One Project for the good of England (1679); 8. A Perswasive to Moderation (1686); Part III. Pennsylvania: 9. Some account of the Province of Pennsilvania in America (1681); 10. The Fundamental Constitutions of Pennsilvania (unpublished, summer 1681); 11. The Frame of Government and Laws agreed upon in England (1682); 12. The Charter of Privileges (1701); Part IV. Broader Perspectives: 13. An Essay Towards the Present and Future Peace of Europe (1693); 14. A Brief and Plain scheame (unpublished, 1697); 15. Proposal for the Advancement of Trade in America (unpublished, 1697); Bibliography; Index.

'… although Penn did not produce a philosophical magnum opus, he nevertheless deserves to be included 'in the canon of political thinkers worthy of sustained scholarly treatment' (vii). And who better to take on this project than Murphy himself, who has spent more than two decades studying and writing about Penn's life, career, and thought.' Tim Harris, The European Legacy