The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh / Edition 1

by Francis Bacon, Jerry Weinberger

Overview

Jerry Weinberger reinterprets the meaning of 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 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, explaining obsolete words, and clarifying matters of historical chronology and fact.

In his interpretive essay, Weinberger discusses contemporary debates on how best to approach and understand The History. He suggest 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 addresses the justification of modern times and reopens the ageless questions of political philosophy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801430671
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	05/02/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.88(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

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

Editorial Reviews

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

"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

From the Publisher