Books
Sir Lewis Namier Considered
– "Sir Lewis Namier Considered," Journal of British Studies, Vol. 2 (1962), pp. 28-55.Party Government and the Settlement of 1688
– "Party Government and the Settlement of 1688," American Political Science Review, Vol. 58 (1964), pp. 933-946.Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State
– Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State, by David P. Calleo, Journal of Modern History, vol. 40 (1968): 431-33.Modern and Medieval Representation
– "Modern and Medieval Representation," Nomos, vol. XI (1968), in Representation, J.R. Pennock and J. Chapman. eds., 1968, pp. 55-82.Machiavelli’s New Regime
– "Machiavelli's New Regime," Italian Quarterly, vol. XIII (1970), pp. 63-95.Necessity in the Beginning of Cities
– "Necessity in the Beginning of Cities," The Political Calculus: Essays in Machiavelli's Philosophy, A. Parel, ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972, pp. 101-126.Review of Polybius
– Review of Polybius, by F. W. Walbank, Political Theory, vol. 3 (1975): 232-34.The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism
– "The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism," How Does the Constitution Protect Religious Freedom?, Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, eds., Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1978, pp. 1-14.Machiavelli’s New Modes and Orders: A Study of the Discourses on Livy
– Cornell University Press, 1979; reprinted, University of Chicago Press, 2001.Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory
– Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory, Michael J. Gargas McGrath, ed., American Political Science Review, vol. 74 (1980): 172-73.The Ambivalence of Executive Power
– "The Ambivalence of Executive Power," The Presidency in the Constitutional Order, J. Bessette and J. Tulis, eds., Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University Press, 1981, pp. 314-334.Machiavelli’s Political Science
– "Machiavelli's Political Science," American Political Science Review, Vol. 75 (1981), pp. 293-305.Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue
– Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue: Classical Tradition and Humanist Innovation, by D. Marsh, Review of Metaphysics, vol. 34 (June 1981): 794-95.On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli’s Use of Stato
– "On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli's Use of Stato," American Political Science Review, Vol. 77 (1983), pp. 849-857.Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age
– Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age: Dante et Ses Antecedents, by Ernest L. Fortin, American Political Science Review, vol. 77 (1983): 270-71.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
The Absent Executive in Aristotle’s Politics
– "The Absent Executive in Aristotle's Politics," Natural Right and Political Right, P. Schramm and T. Silver, eds., Carolina Academic Press, 1984, pp. 169-196.Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Machiavelli’s The Prince
– A new translation with introduction, University of Chicago Press, 1985; second edition, with corrections and a glossary, 1998.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power
– "Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power," Lives, Liberties and the Public Good, G. Feaver and F. Rosen, eds., London, 1987, pp. 27-43.Edmund Burke
– "Edmund Burke," History of Political Philosophy, Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey, eds., 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.Excerpt: For almost all his adult life, Burke was a politician; for almost thirty years he was a member of the House of Commons, busy with the affairs of his party in the daily management… More
The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power
– "The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power," Presidential Studies Quarterly, Spring 1987, pp. 237-252.Machiavelli’s Florentine Histories
– A new translation with introduction, Princeton University Press, 1988.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s “Defensor Pacis”
– Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s "Defensor Pacis," by Stephen F. Torraco, San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1992.Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern
– "Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern," University of Oregon Press, 1994, 31 pp., a pamphlet containing the 1994 Kritikos lecture.Passions et intérêts
– “Passions et intérêts,” Dictionnaire de Philosophie Politique, Philippe Raynaud and Stéphane Rials, eds., Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1996, pp. 453-457.Ancient or Modern?
– "Ancient or Modern?" review of Machiavelli's Three Romes, by Vickie B. Sullivan, Times Literary Supplement, 11 April 1997.The City of Manent
– "The City of Manent: A French Political Philosopher Examines Modernity," review of The City of Man, by Pierre Manent, Weekly Standard, 15 June 1998.Excerpt: A book like Pierre Manent’s The City of Man doesn’t come along every day. Originally published in France in 1994 and now brought out in English by Princeton… More
Educating the Prince Eds. Blitz/Kristol
– Educating the Prince: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Mark Blitz and William Kristol, eds., Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000.In this festschrift for Harvey Mansfield, twenty-one former students, themselves distinguished scholars and writers, reflect on the whole gambit of Mansfieldian themes, from Machiavelli… More
Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism
“Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism,” Renaissance Civic Humanism, James Hankins, ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, pp. 223-246. Read online: Google Books |… More
A Student’s Guide to Political Philosophy
– Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2001.Excerpt: Political Philosophy is found in great books—those by Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau and others of the highest rank—and in books by professors. You should spend much more… More
Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists
– "Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists," Claremont Review of Books, Fall 2001.Excerpt: These are the words of Edmund Burke, referring to a corps of irregulars used to enforce the tyranny of the French Revolution. I hope I will not be drafted into the “blame… More
Jaffa vs. Mansfield
– West, Thomas G., "Jaffa vs. Mansfield," Perspectives on Political Science, Claremont Institute, Fall 2002.Excerpt: What were the original principles of the American Constitution? Are those principles true? Many historians and political scientists write about the first question. Scholars are… More
Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding
– "Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding," Never a Matter of Indifference: Sustaining Virtue in a Free Republic, Peter Berkowitz, ed., Hoover Institution Press, 2003.Excerpt: Liberty and virtue are not a likely pair. At first sight they seem to be contraries, for liberty appears to mean living as you please and virtue appears to mean living not as you… More
Greek Books, American Life
– "Greek Books, American Life: The Wisdom of Eva Brann, Tutor and Philosopher," review of Open Secrets / Inward Prospects: Reflections on World and Soul, by Eva Brann, Weekly Standard, 20 June 2005.Excerpt: LET US CELEBRATE EVA BRANN, the kind old lady of St. John’s College. St. John’s is the Great Books school (actually two schools, in Annapolis and Santa Fe) where high… More
Burke’s Conservatism
– “Burke’s Conservatism,” An Imaginative Whig: Reassessing the Life and Thought of Edmund Burke, Ian Crowe, ed., Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2005, 59-70.What’s So Special about Democracy?
– "What’s So Special about Democracy?," review of Democracy: A History, by John Dunn, New York Sun, 26 July 2006.Excerpt: Why is it that democracy is now the sole legitimate form of government throughout the world? Democracy had been deplored, even despised, from Plato to “The Federalist”… More
The Arts of Rule Eds. Krause/McGrail
– The Arts of Rule: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Sharon R. Krause and Mary Ann McGrail, eds., Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2009.Excerpt: This is a book about the arts of rule. It has been created for the purpose of honoring Harvey C. Mansfield, who has taught so many of us so much about these arts. Above all, he has… More
Big Think: Harvey Mansfield
– Video, Series of short interviews, Big Think, 2008.Prof. Mansfield answers a number of questions and discusses multiple topics ranging from Ancient thinkers to modern political correctness in a series of short video clips ranging from 1 to… More
Taming the Prince
– "Taming the Prince," lecture delivered to the John Marshall International Center for the Study of Statesmanship, 16 October 2009.Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?
– "Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?" review of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, by Stephen Greenblatt, Weekly Standard, 13 February 2012.Excerpt: Stephen Greenblatt’s book on the influence of Lucretius is clever and curious—and notable for the ambition expressed in its title. Written as a scholar’s lecture but with a… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 4: Machiavelli and Indirect Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?
– "Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?", Defining Ideas, 30 August 2012.Excerpt: Here are some thoughts and some readings for freshmen (or first-years) excited about our election and heading for college. They also apply to the rest of us long-time voters who… More
Birth of the Modern
– "Birth of the Modern," Wall Street Journal, 23 June 2013.Excerpt: For this grand role, the mind of Machiavelli must have been capable of acting on its own, informed but not dictated by the events of the time. Machiavelli had much to say on this… More
Machiavelli’s Enterprise
– “Machiavelli’s Enterprise,” The New Criterion (October 2013).Excerpt: To create the modern world Machiavelli initiated a two-fold transformation of politics and philosophy that would bring them together: politics with the elevation of philosophy and… More
Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox
– CBC Radio Ideas with Paul Kennedy. "Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox" Nov 5, 2013. CBC Radio 1.Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC “Ideas” radio program on Machiavelli featuring Harvey C. Mansfield, Clifford Orwin, Michelle Clarke, and Erica Brenner. Comedian Rick… More
Essays
Sir Lewis Namier Considered
– "Sir Lewis Namier Considered," Journal of British Studies, Vol. 2 (1962), pp. 28-55.Party Government and the Settlement of 1688
– "Party Government and the Settlement of 1688," American Political Science Review, Vol. 58 (1964), pp. 933-946.Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State
– Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State, by David P. Calleo, Journal of Modern History, vol. 40 (1968): 431-33.Modern and Medieval Representation
– "Modern and Medieval Representation," Nomos, vol. XI (1968), in Representation, J.R. Pennock and J. Chapman. eds., 1968, pp. 55-82.Machiavelli’s New Regime
– "Machiavelli's New Regime," Italian Quarterly, vol. XIII (1970), pp. 63-95.Necessity in the Beginning of Cities
– "Necessity in the Beginning of Cities," The Political Calculus: Essays in Machiavelli's Philosophy, A. Parel, ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972, pp. 101-126.Review of Polybius
– Review of Polybius, by F. W. Walbank, Political Theory, vol. 3 (1975): 232-34.The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism
– "The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism," How Does the Constitution Protect Religious Freedom?, Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, eds., Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1978, pp. 1-14.Machiavelli’s New Modes and Orders: A Study of the Discourses on Livy
– Cornell University Press, 1979; reprinted, University of Chicago Press, 2001.Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory
– Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory, Michael J. Gargas McGrath, ed., American Political Science Review, vol. 74 (1980): 172-73.The Ambivalence of Executive Power
– "The Ambivalence of Executive Power," The Presidency in the Constitutional Order, J. Bessette and J. Tulis, eds., Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University Press, 1981, pp. 314-334.Machiavelli’s Political Science
– "Machiavelli's Political Science," American Political Science Review, Vol. 75 (1981), pp. 293-305.Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue
– Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue: Classical Tradition and Humanist Innovation, by D. Marsh, Review of Metaphysics, vol. 34 (June 1981): 794-95.On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli’s Use of Stato
– "On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli's Use of Stato," American Political Science Review, Vol. 77 (1983), pp. 849-857.Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age
– Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age: Dante et Ses Antecedents, by Ernest L. Fortin, American Political Science Review, vol. 77 (1983): 270-71.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
The Absent Executive in Aristotle’s Politics
– "The Absent Executive in Aristotle's Politics," Natural Right and Political Right, P. Schramm and T. Silver, eds., Carolina Academic Press, 1984, pp. 169-196.Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Machiavelli’s The Prince
– A new translation with introduction, University of Chicago Press, 1985; second edition, with corrections and a glossary, 1998.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power
– "Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power," Lives, Liberties and the Public Good, G. Feaver and F. Rosen, eds., London, 1987, pp. 27-43.Edmund Burke
– "Edmund Burke," History of Political Philosophy, Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey, eds., 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.Excerpt: For almost all his adult life, Burke was a politician; for almost thirty years he was a member of the House of Commons, busy with the affairs of his party in the daily management… More
The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power
– "The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power," Presidential Studies Quarterly, Spring 1987, pp. 237-252.Machiavelli’s Florentine Histories
– A new translation with introduction, Princeton University Press, 1988.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s “Defensor Pacis”
– Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s "Defensor Pacis," by Stephen F. Torraco, San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1992.Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern
– "Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern," University of Oregon Press, 1994, 31 pp., a pamphlet containing the 1994 Kritikos lecture.Passions et intérêts
– “Passions et intérêts,” Dictionnaire de Philosophie Politique, Philippe Raynaud and Stéphane Rials, eds., Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1996, pp. 453-457.Ancient or Modern?
– "Ancient or Modern?" review of Machiavelli's Three Romes, by Vickie B. Sullivan, Times Literary Supplement, 11 April 1997.The City of Manent
– "The City of Manent: A French Political Philosopher Examines Modernity," review of The City of Man, by Pierre Manent, Weekly Standard, 15 June 1998.Excerpt: A book like Pierre Manent’s The City of Man doesn’t come along every day. Originally published in France in 1994 and now brought out in English by Princeton… More
Educating the Prince Eds. Blitz/Kristol
– Educating the Prince: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Mark Blitz and William Kristol, eds., Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000.In this festschrift for Harvey Mansfield, twenty-one former students, themselves distinguished scholars and writers, reflect on the whole gambit of Mansfieldian themes, from Machiavelli… More
Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism
“Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism,” Renaissance Civic Humanism, James Hankins, ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, pp. 223-246. Read online: Google Books |… More
A Student’s Guide to Political Philosophy
– Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2001.Excerpt: Political Philosophy is found in great books—those by Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau and others of the highest rank—and in books by professors. You should spend much more… More
Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists
– "Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists," Claremont Review of Books, Fall 2001.Excerpt: These are the words of Edmund Burke, referring to a corps of irregulars used to enforce the tyranny of the French Revolution. I hope I will not be drafted into the “blame… More
Jaffa vs. Mansfield
– West, Thomas G., "Jaffa vs. Mansfield," Perspectives on Political Science, Claremont Institute, Fall 2002.Excerpt: What were the original principles of the American Constitution? Are those principles true? Many historians and political scientists write about the first question. Scholars are… More
Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding
– "Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding," Never a Matter of Indifference: Sustaining Virtue in a Free Republic, Peter Berkowitz, ed., Hoover Institution Press, 2003.Excerpt: Liberty and virtue are not a likely pair. At first sight they seem to be contraries, for liberty appears to mean living as you please and virtue appears to mean living not as you… More
Greek Books, American Life
– "Greek Books, American Life: The Wisdom of Eva Brann, Tutor and Philosopher," review of Open Secrets / Inward Prospects: Reflections on World and Soul, by Eva Brann, Weekly Standard, 20 June 2005.Excerpt: LET US CELEBRATE EVA BRANN, the kind old lady of St. John’s College. St. John’s is the Great Books school (actually two schools, in Annapolis and Santa Fe) where high… More
Burke’s Conservatism
– “Burke’s Conservatism,” An Imaginative Whig: Reassessing the Life and Thought of Edmund Burke, Ian Crowe, ed., Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2005, 59-70.What’s So Special about Democracy?
– "What’s So Special about Democracy?," review of Democracy: A History, by John Dunn, New York Sun, 26 July 2006.Excerpt: Why is it that democracy is now the sole legitimate form of government throughout the world? Democracy had been deplored, even despised, from Plato to “The Federalist”… More
The Arts of Rule Eds. Krause/McGrail
– The Arts of Rule: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Sharon R. Krause and Mary Ann McGrail, eds., Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2009.Excerpt: This is a book about the arts of rule. It has been created for the purpose of honoring Harvey C. Mansfield, who has taught so many of us so much about these arts. Above all, he has… More
Big Think: Harvey Mansfield
– Video, Series of short interviews, Big Think, 2008.Prof. Mansfield answers a number of questions and discusses multiple topics ranging from Ancient thinkers to modern political correctness in a series of short video clips ranging from 1 to… More
Taming the Prince
– "Taming the Prince," lecture delivered to the John Marshall International Center for the Study of Statesmanship, 16 October 2009.Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?
– "Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?" review of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, by Stephen Greenblatt, Weekly Standard, 13 February 2012.Excerpt: Stephen Greenblatt’s book on the influence of Lucretius is clever and curious—and notable for the ambition expressed in its title. Written as a scholar’s lecture but with a… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 4: Machiavelli and Indirect Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?
– "Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?", Defining Ideas, 30 August 2012.Excerpt: Here are some thoughts and some readings for freshmen (or first-years) excited about our election and heading for college. They also apply to the rest of us long-time voters who… More
Birth of the Modern
– "Birth of the Modern," Wall Street Journal, 23 June 2013.Excerpt: For this grand role, the mind of Machiavelli must have been capable of acting on its own, informed but not dictated by the events of the time. Machiavelli had much to say on this… More
Machiavelli’s Enterprise
– “Machiavelli’s Enterprise,” The New Criterion (October 2013).Excerpt: To create the modern world Machiavelli initiated a two-fold transformation of politics and philosophy that would bring them together: politics with the elevation of philosophy and… More
Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox
– CBC Radio Ideas with Paul Kennedy. "Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox" Nov 5, 2013. CBC Radio 1.Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC “Ideas” radio program on Machiavelli featuring Harvey C. Mansfield, Clifford Orwin, Michelle Clarke, and Erica Brenner. Comedian Rick… More
Commentary
Sir Lewis Namier Considered
– "Sir Lewis Namier Considered," Journal of British Studies, Vol. 2 (1962), pp. 28-55.Party Government and the Settlement of 1688
– "Party Government and the Settlement of 1688," American Political Science Review, Vol. 58 (1964), pp. 933-946.Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State
– Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State, by David P. Calleo, Journal of Modern History, vol. 40 (1968): 431-33.Modern and Medieval Representation
– "Modern and Medieval Representation," Nomos, vol. XI (1968), in Representation, J.R. Pennock and J. Chapman. eds., 1968, pp. 55-82.Machiavelli’s New Regime
– "Machiavelli's New Regime," Italian Quarterly, vol. XIII (1970), pp. 63-95.Necessity in the Beginning of Cities
– "Necessity in the Beginning of Cities," The Political Calculus: Essays in Machiavelli's Philosophy, A. Parel, ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972, pp. 101-126.Review of Polybius
– Review of Polybius, by F. W. Walbank, Political Theory, vol. 3 (1975): 232-34.The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism
– "The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism," How Does the Constitution Protect Religious Freedom?, Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, eds., Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1978, pp. 1-14.Machiavelli’s New Modes and Orders: A Study of the Discourses on Livy
– Cornell University Press, 1979; reprinted, University of Chicago Press, 2001.Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory
– Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory, Michael J. Gargas McGrath, ed., American Political Science Review, vol. 74 (1980): 172-73.The Ambivalence of Executive Power
– "The Ambivalence of Executive Power," The Presidency in the Constitutional Order, J. Bessette and J. Tulis, eds., Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University Press, 1981, pp. 314-334.Machiavelli’s Political Science
– "Machiavelli's Political Science," American Political Science Review, Vol. 75 (1981), pp. 293-305.Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue
– Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue: Classical Tradition and Humanist Innovation, by D. Marsh, Review of Metaphysics, vol. 34 (June 1981): 794-95.On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli’s Use of Stato
– "On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli's Use of Stato," American Political Science Review, Vol. 77 (1983), pp. 849-857.Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age
– Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age: Dante et Ses Antecedents, by Ernest L. Fortin, American Political Science Review, vol. 77 (1983): 270-71.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
The Absent Executive in Aristotle’s Politics
– "The Absent Executive in Aristotle's Politics," Natural Right and Political Right, P. Schramm and T. Silver, eds., Carolina Academic Press, 1984, pp. 169-196.Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Machiavelli’s The Prince
– A new translation with introduction, University of Chicago Press, 1985; second edition, with corrections and a glossary, 1998.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power
– "Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power," Lives, Liberties and the Public Good, G. Feaver and F. Rosen, eds., London, 1987, pp. 27-43.Edmund Burke
– "Edmund Burke," History of Political Philosophy, Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey, eds., 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.Excerpt: For almost all his adult life, Burke was a politician; for almost thirty years he was a member of the House of Commons, busy with the affairs of his party in the daily management… More
The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power
– "The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power," Presidential Studies Quarterly, Spring 1987, pp. 237-252.Machiavelli’s Florentine Histories
– A new translation with introduction, Princeton University Press, 1988.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s “Defensor Pacis”
– Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s "Defensor Pacis," by Stephen F. Torraco, San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1992.Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern
– "Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern," University of Oregon Press, 1994, 31 pp., a pamphlet containing the 1994 Kritikos lecture.Passions et intérêts
– “Passions et intérêts,” Dictionnaire de Philosophie Politique, Philippe Raynaud and Stéphane Rials, eds., Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1996, pp. 453-457.Ancient or Modern?
– "Ancient or Modern?" review of Machiavelli's Three Romes, by Vickie B. Sullivan, Times Literary Supplement, 11 April 1997.The City of Manent
– "The City of Manent: A French Political Philosopher Examines Modernity," review of The City of Man, by Pierre Manent, Weekly Standard, 15 June 1998.Excerpt: A book like Pierre Manent’s The City of Man doesn’t come along every day. Originally published in France in 1994 and now brought out in English by Princeton… More
Educating the Prince Eds. Blitz/Kristol
– Educating the Prince: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Mark Blitz and William Kristol, eds., Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000.In this festschrift for Harvey Mansfield, twenty-one former students, themselves distinguished scholars and writers, reflect on the whole gambit of Mansfieldian themes, from Machiavelli… More
Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism
“Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism,” Renaissance Civic Humanism, James Hankins, ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, pp. 223-246. Read online: Google Books |… More
A Student’s Guide to Political Philosophy
– Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2001.Excerpt: Political Philosophy is found in great books—those by Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau and others of the highest rank—and in books by professors. You should spend much more… More
Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists
– "Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists," Claremont Review of Books, Fall 2001.Excerpt: These are the words of Edmund Burke, referring to a corps of irregulars used to enforce the tyranny of the French Revolution. I hope I will not be drafted into the “blame… More
Jaffa vs. Mansfield
– West, Thomas G., "Jaffa vs. Mansfield," Perspectives on Political Science, Claremont Institute, Fall 2002.Excerpt: What were the original principles of the American Constitution? Are those principles true? Many historians and political scientists write about the first question. Scholars are… More
Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding
– "Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding," Never a Matter of Indifference: Sustaining Virtue in a Free Republic, Peter Berkowitz, ed., Hoover Institution Press, 2003.Excerpt: Liberty and virtue are not a likely pair. At first sight they seem to be contraries, for liberty appears to mean living as you please and virtue appears to mean living not as you… More
Greek Books, American Life
– "Greek Books, American Life: The Wisdom of Eva Brann, Tutor and Philosopher," review of Open Secrets / Inward Prospects: Reflections on World and Soul, by Eva Brann, Weekly Standard, 20 June 2005.Excerpt: LET US CELEBRATE EVA BRANN, the kind old lady of St. John’s College. St. John’s is the Great Books school (actually two schools, in Annapolis and Santa Fe) where high… More
Burke’s Conservatism
– “Burke’s Conservatism,” An Imaginative Whig: Reassessing the Life and Thought of Edmund Burke, Ian Crowe, ed., Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2005, 59-70.What’s So Special about Democracy?
– "What’s So Special about Democracy?," review of Democracy: A History, by John Dunn, New York Sun, 26 July 2006.Excerpt: Why is it that democracy is now the sole legitimate form of government throughout the world? Democracy had been deplored, even despised, from Plato to “The Federalist”… More
The Arts of Rule Eds. Krause/McGrail
– The Arts of Rule: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Sharon R. Krause and Mary Ann McGrail, eds., Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2009.Excerpt: This is a book about the arts of rule. It has been created for the purpose of honoring Harvey C. Mansfield, who has taught so many of us so much about these arts. Above all, he has… More
Big Think: Harvey Mansfield
– Video, Series of short interviews, Big Think, 2008.Prof. Mansfield answers a number of questions and discusses multiple topics ranging from Ancient thinkers to modern political correctness in a series of short video clips ranging from 1 to… More
Taming the Prince
– "Taming the Prince," lecture delivered to the John Marshall International Center for the Study of Statesmanship, 16 October 2009.Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?
– "Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?" review of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, by Stephen Greenblatt, Weekly Standard, 13 February 2012.Excerpt: Stephen Greenblatt’s book on the influence of Lucretius is clever and curious—and notable for the ambition expressed in its title. Written as a scholar’s lecture but with a… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 4: Machiavelli and Indirect Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?
– "Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?", Defining Ideas, 30 August 2012.Excerpt: Here are some thoughts and some readings for freshmen (or first-years) excited about our election and heading for college. They also apply to the rest of us long-time voters who… More
Birth of the Modern
– "Birth of the Modern," Wall Street Journal, 23 June 2013.Excerpt: For this grand role, the mind of Machiavelli must have been capable of acting on its own, informed but not dictated by the events of the time. Machiavelli had much to say on this… More
Machiavelli’s Enterprise
– “Machiavelli’s Enterprise,” The New Criterion (October 2013).Excerpt: To create the modern world Machiavelli initiated a two-fold transformation of politics and philosophy that would bring them together: politics with the elevation of philosophy and… More
Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox
– CBC Radio Ideas with Paul Kennedy. "Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox" Nov 5, 2013. CBC Radio 1.Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC “Ideas” radio program on Machiavelli featuring Harvey C. Mansfield, Clifford Orwin, Michelle Clarke, and Erica Brenner. Comedian Rick… More
Multimedia
Sir Lewis Namier Considered
– "Sir Lewis Namier Considered," Journal of British Studies, Vol. 2 (1962), pp. 28-55.Party Government and the Settlement of 1688
– "Party Government and the Settlement of 1688," American Political Science Review, Vol. 58 (1964), pp. 933-946.Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State
– Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State, by David P. Calleo, Journal of Modern History, vol. 40 (1968): 431-33.Modern and Medieval Representation
– "Modern and Medieval Representation," Nomos, vol. XI (1968), in Representation, J.R. Pennock and J. Chapman. eds., 1968, pp. 55-82.Machiavelli’s New Regime
– "Machiavelli's New Regime," Italian Quarterly, vol. XIII (1970), pp. 63-95.Necessity in the Beginning of Cities
– "Necessity in the Beginning of Cities," The Political Calculus: Essays in Machiavelli's Philosophy, A. Parel, ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972, pp. 101-126.Review of Polybius
– Review of Polybius, by F. W. Walbank, Political Theory, vol. 3 (1975): 232-34.The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism
– "The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism," How Does the Constitution Protect Religious Freedom?, Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, eds., Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1978, pp. 1-14.Machiavelli’s New Modes and Orders: A Study of the Discourses on Livy
– Cornell University Press, 1979; reprinted, University of Chicago Press, 2001.Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory
– Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory, Michael J. Gargas McGrath, ed., American Political Science Review, vol. 74 (1980): 172-73.The Ambivalence of Executive Power
– "The Ambivalence of Executive Power," The Presidency in the Constitutional Order, J. Bessette and J. Tulis, eds., Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University Press, 1981, pp. 314-334.Machiavelli’s Political Science
– "Machiavelli's Political Science," American Political Science Review, Vol. 75 (1981), pp. 293-305.Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue
– Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue: Classical Tradition and Humanist Innovation, by D. Marsh, Review of Metaphysics, vol. 34 (June 1981): 794-95.On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli’s Use of Stato
– "On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli's Use of Stato," American Political Science Review, Vol. 77 (1983), pp. 849-857.Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age
– Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age: Dante et Ses Antecedents, by Ernest L. Fortin, American Political Science Review, vol. 77 (1983): 270-71.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
The Absent Executive in Aristotle’s Politics
– "The Absent Executive in Aristotle's Politics," Natural Right and Political Right, P. Schramm and T. Silver, eds., Carolina Academic Press, 1984, pp. 169-196.Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Machiavelli’s The Prince
– A new translation with introduction, University of Chicago Press, 1985; second edition, with corrections and a glossary, 1998.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power
– "Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power," Lives, Liberties and the Public Good, G. Feaver and F. Rosen, eds., London, 1987, pp. 27-43.Edmund Burke
– "Edmund Burke," History of Political Philosophy, Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey, eds., 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.Excerpt: For almost all his adult life, Burke was a politician; for almost thirty years he was a member of the House of Commons, busy with the affairs of his party in the daily management… More
The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power
– "The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power," Presidential Studies Quarterly, Spring 1987, pp. 237-252.Machiavelli’s Florentine Histories
– A new translation with introduction, Princeton University Press, 1988.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s “Defensor Pacis”
– Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s "Defensor Pacis," by Stephen F. Torraco, San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1992.Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern
– "Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern," University of Oregon Press, 1994, 31 pp., a pamphlet containing the 1994 Kritikos lecture.Passions et intérêts
– “Passions et intérêts,” Dictionnaire de Philosophie Politique, Philippe Raynaud and Stéphane Rials, eds., Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1996, pp. 453-457.Ancient or Modern?
– "Ancient or Modern?" review of Machiavelli's Three Romes, by Vickie B. Sullivan, Times Literary Supplement, 11 April 1997.The City of Manent
– "The City of Manent: A French Political Philosopher Examines Modernity," review of The City of Man, by Pierre Manent, Weekly Standard, 15 June 1998.Excerpt: A book like Pierre Manent’s The City of Man doesn’t come along every day. Originally published in France in 1994 and now brought out in English by Princeton… More
Educating the Prince Eds. Blitz/Kristol
– Educating the Prince: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Mark Blitz and William Kristol, eds., Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000.In this festschrift for Harvey Mansfield, twenty-one former students, themselves distinguished scholars and writers, reflect on the whole gambit of Mansfieldian themes, from Machiavelli… More
Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism
“Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism,” Renaissance Civic Humanism, James Hankins, ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, pp. 223-246. Read online: Google Books |… More
A Student’s Guide to Political Philosophy
– Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2001.Excerpt: Political Philosophy is found in great books—those by Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau and others of the highest rank—and in books by professors. You should spend much more… More
Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists
– "Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists," Claremont Review of Books, Fall 2001.Excerpt: These are the words of Edmund Burke, referring to a corps of irregulars used to enforce the tyranny of the French Revolution. I hope I will not be drafted into the “blame… More
Jaffa vs. Mansfield
– West, Thomas G., "Jaffa vs. Mansfield," Perspectives on Political Science, Claremont Institute, Fall 2002.Excerpt: What were the original principles of the American Constitution? Are those principles true? Many historians and political scientists write about the first question. Scholars are… More
Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding
– "Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding," Never a Matter of Indifference: Sustaining Virtue in a Free Republic, Peter Berkowitz, ed., Hoover Institution Press, 2003.Excerpt: Liberty and virtue are not a likely pair. At first sight they seem to be contraries, for liberty appears to mean living as you please and virtue appears to mean living not as you… More
Greek Books, American Life
– "Greek Books, American Life: The Wisdom of Eva Brann, Tutor and Philosopher," review of Open Secrets / Inward Prospects: Reflections on World and Soul, by Eva Brann, Weekly Standard, 20 June 2005.Excerpt: LET US CELEBRATE EVA BRANN, the kind old lady of St. John’s College. St. John’s is the Great Books school (actually two schools, in Annapolis and Santa Fe) where high… More
Burke’s Conservatism
– “Burke’s Conservatism,” An Imaginative Whig: Reassessing the Life and Thought of Edmund Burke, Ian Crowe, ed., Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2005, 59-70.What’s So Special about Democracy?
– "What’s So Special about Democracy?," review of Democracy: A History, by John Dunn, New York Sun, 26 July 2006.Excerpt: Why is it that democracy is now the sole legitimate form of government throughout the world? Democracy had been deplored, even despised, from Plato to “The Federalist”… More
The Arts of Rule Eds. Krause/McGrail
– The Arts of Rule: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Sharon R. Krause and Mary Ann McGrail, eds., Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2009.Excerpt: This is a book about the arts of rule. It has been created for the purpose of honoring Harvey C. Mansfield, who has taught so many of us so much about these arts. Above all, he has… More
Big Think: Harvey Mansfield
– Video, Series of short interviews, Big Think, 2008.Prof. Mansfield answers a number of questions and discusses multiple topics ranging from Ancient thinkers to modern political correctness in a series of short video clips ranging from 1 to… More
Taming the Prince
– "Taming the Prince," lecture delivered to the John Marshall International Center for the Study of Statesmanship, 16 October 2009.Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?
– "Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?" review of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, by Stephen Greenblatt, Weekly Standard, 13 February 2012.Excerpt: Stephen Greenblatt’s book on the influence of Lucretius is clever and curious—and notable for the ambition expressed in its title. Written as a scholar’s lecture but with a… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 4: Machiavelli and Indirect Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?
– "Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?", Defining Ideas, 30 August 2012.Excerpt: Here are some thoughts and some readings for freshmen (or first-years) excited about our election and heading for college. They also apply to the rest of us long-time voters who… More
Birth of the Modern
– "Birth of the Modern," Wall Street Journal, 23 June 2013.Excerpt: For this grand role, the mind of Machiavelli must have been capable of acting on its own, informed but not dictated by the events of the time. Machiavelli had much to say on this… More
Machiavelli’s Enterprise
– “Machiavelli’s Enterprise,” The New Criterion (October 2013).Excerpt: To create the modern world Machiavelli initiated a two-fold transformation of politics and philosophy that would bring them together: politics with the elevation of philosophy and… More
Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox
– CBC Radio Ideas with Paul Kennedy. "Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox" Nov 5, 2013. CBC Radio 1.Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC “Ideas” radio program on Machiavelli featuring Harvey C. Mansfield, Clifford Orwin, Michelle Clarke, and Erica Brenner. Comedian Rick… More
Teaching
Sir Lewis Namier Considered
– "Sir Lewis Namier Considered," Journal of British Studies, Vol. 2 (1962), pp. 28-55.Party Government and the Settlement of 1688
– "Party Government and the Settlement of 1688," American Political Science Review, Vol. 58 (1964), pp. 933-946.Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State
– Review of Coleridge and the Idea of the Modern State, by David P. Calleo, Journal of Modern History, vol. 40 (1968): 431-33.Modern and Medieval Representation
– "Modern and Medieval Representation," Nomos, vol. XI (1968), in Representation, J.R. Pennock and J. Chapman. eds., 1968, pp. 55-82.Machiavelli’s New Regime
– "Machiavelli's New Regime," Italian Quarterly, vol. XIII (1970), pp. 63-95.Necessity in the Beginning of Cities
– "Necessity in the Beginning of Cities," The Political Calculus: Essays in Machiavelli's Philosophy, A. Parel, ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972, pp. 101-126.Review of Polybius
– Review of Polybius, by F. W. Walbank, Political Theory, vol. 3 (1975): 232-34.The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism
– "The Religious Issue and the Origin of Modern Constitutionalism," How Does the Constitution Protect Religious Freedom?, Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, eds., Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1978, pp. 1-14.Machiavelli’s New Modes and Orders: A Study of the Discourses on Livy
– Cornell University Press, 1979; reprinted, University of Chicago Press, 2001.Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory
– Review of Liberalism and the Modern Polity: Essays in Contemporary Political Theory, Michael J. Gargas McGrath, ed., American Political Science Review, vol. 74 (1980): 172-73.The Ambivalence of Executive Power
– "The Ambivalence of Executive Power," The Presidency in the Constitutional Order, J. Bessette and J. Tulis, eds., Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University Press, 1981, pp. 314-334.Machiavelli’s Political Science
– "Machiavelli's Political Science," American Political Science Review, Vol. 75 (1981), pp. 293-305.Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue
– Review of The Quattrocento Dialogue: Classical Tradition and Humanist Innovation, by D. Marsh, Review of Metaphysics, vol. 34 (June 1981): 794-95.On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli’s Use of Stato
– "On the Impersonality of the Modern State: A Comment on Machiavelli's Use of Stato," American Political Science Review, Vol. 77 (1983), pp. 849-857.Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age
– Review of Dissidence et Philosophie au Moyen Age: Dante et Ses Antecedents, by Ernest L. Fortin, American Political Science Review, vol. 77 (1983): 270-71.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
The Absent Executive in Aristotle’s Politics
– "The Absent Executive in Aristotle's Politics," Natural Right and Political Right, P. Schramm and T. Silver, eds., Carolina Academic Press, 1984, pp. 169-196.Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Machiavelli’s The Prince
– A new translation with introduction, University of Chicago Press, 1985; second edition, with corrections and a glossary, 1998.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power
– "Hobbes on Liberty and Executive Power," Lives, Liberties and the Public Good, G. Feaver and F. Rosen, eds., London, 1987, pp. 27-43.Edmund Burke
– "Edmund Burke," History of Political Philosophy, Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey, eds., 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.Excerpt: For almost all his adult life, Burke was a politician; for almost thirty years he was a member of the House of Commons, busy with the affairs of his party in the daily management… More
The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power
– "The Modern Doctrine of Executive Power," Presidential Studies Quarterly, Spring 1987, pp. 237-252.Machiavelli’s Florentine Histories
– A new translation with introduction, Princeton University Press, 1988.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s “Defensor Pacis”
– Foreword to Priests as Physicians of Souls in Marsilius of Padua’s "Defensor Pacis," by Stephen F. Torraco, San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1992.Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern
– "Responsible Citizenship Ancient and Modern," University of Oregon Press, 1994, 31 pp., a pamphlet containing the 1994 Kritikos lecture.Passions et intérêts
– “Passions et intérêts,” Dictionnaire de Philosophie Politique, Philippe Raynaud and Stéphane Rials, eds., Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1996, pp. 453-457.Ancient or Modern?
– "Ancient or Modern?" review of Machiavelli's Three Romes, by Vickie B. Sullivan, Times Literary Supplement, 11 April 1997.The City of Manent
– "The City of Manent: A French Political Philosopher Examines Modernity," review of The City of Man, by Pierre Manent, Weekly Standard, 15 June 1998.Excerpt: A book like Pierre Manent’s The City of Man doesn’t come along every day. Originally published in France in 1994 and now brought out in English by Princeton… More
Educating the Prince Eds. Blitz/Kristol
– Educating the Prince: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Mark Blitz and William Kristol, eds., Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000.In this festschrift for Harvey Mansfield, twenty-one former students, themselves distinguished scholars and writers, reflect on the whole gambit of Mansfieldian themes, from Machiavelli… More
Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism
“Bruni and Machiavelli on Civic Humanism,” Renaissance Civic Humanism, James Hankins, ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, pp. 223-246. Read online: Google Books |… More
A Student’s Guide to Political Philosophy
– Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2001.Excerpt: Political Philosophy is found in great books—those by Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau and others of the highest rank—and in books by professors. You should spend much more… More
Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists
– "Those Hell-Hounds Called Terrorists," Claremont Review of Books, Fall 2001.Excerpt: These are the words of Edmund Burke, referring to a corps of irregulars used to enforce the tyranny of the French Revolution. I hope I will not be drafted into the “blame… More
Jaffa vs. Mansfield
– West, Thomas G., "Jaffa vs. Mansfield," Perspectives on Political Science, Claremont Institute, Fall 2002.Excerpt: What were the original principles of the American Constitution? Are those principles true? Many historians and political scientists write about the first question. Scholars are… More
Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding
– "Liberty and Virtue in the American Founding," Never a Matter of Indifference: Sustaining Virtue in a Free Republic, Peter Berkowitz, ed., Hoover Institution Press, 2003.Excerpt: Liberty and virtue are not a likely pair. At first sight they seem to be contraries, for liberty appears to mean living as you please and virtue appears to mean living not as you… More
Greek Books, American Life
– "Greek Books, American Life: The Wisdom of Eva Brann, Tutor and Philosopher," review of Open Secrets / Inward Prospects: Reflections on World and Soul, by Eva Brann, Weekly Standard, 20 June 2005.Excerpt: LET US CELEBRATE EVA BRANN, the kind old lady of St. John’s College. St. John’s is the Great Books school (actually two schools, in Annapolis and Santa Fe) where high… More
Burke’s Conservatism
– “Burke’s Conservatism,” An Imaginative Whig: Reassessing the Life and Thought of Edmund Burke, Ian Crowe, ed., Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2005, 59-70.What’s So Special about Democracy?
– "What’s So Special about Democracy?," review of Democracy: A History, by John Dunn, New York Sun, 26 July 2006.Excerpt: Why is it that democracy is now the sole legitimate form of government throughout the world? Democracy had been deplored, even despised, from Plato to “The Federalist”… More
The Arts of Rule Eds. Krause/McGrail
– The Arts of Rule: Essays in Honor of Harvey Mansfield, Sharon R. Krause and Mary Ann McGrail, eds., Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2009.Excerpt: This is a book about the arts of rule. It has been created for the purpose of honoring Harvey C. Mansfield, who has taught so many of us so much about these arts. Above all, he has… More
Big Think: Harvey Mansfield
– Video, Series of short interviews, Big Think, 2008.Prof. Mansfield answers a number of questions and discusses multiple topics ranging from Ancient thinkers to modern political correctness in a series of short video clips ranging from 1 to… More
Taming the Prince
– "Taming the Prince," lecture delivered to the John Marshall International Center for the Study of Statesmanship, 16 October 2009.Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?
– "Turning Point: Is Lucretius the Gateway to the Modern World?" review of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, by Stephen Greenblatt, Weekly Standard, 13 February 2012.Excerpt: Stephen Greenblatt’s book on the influence of Lucretius is clever and curious—and notable for the ambition expressed in its title. Written as a scholar’s lecture but with a… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 4: Machiavelli and Indirect Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?
– "Are You Smarter Than a Freshman?", Defining Ideas, 30 August 2012.Excerpt: Here are some thoughts and some readings for freshmen (or first-years) excited about our election and heading for college. They also apply to the rest of us long-time voters who… More
Birth of the Modern
– "Birth of the Modern," Wall Street Journal, 23 June 2013.Excerpt: For this grand role, the mind of Machiavelli must have been capable of acting on its own, informed but not dictated by the events of the time. Machiavelli had much to say on this… More
Machiavelli’s Enterprise
– “Machiavelli’s Enterprise,” The New Criterion (October 2013).Excerpt: To create the modern world Machiavelli initiated a two-fold transformation of politics and philosophy that would bring them together: politics with the elevation of philosophy and… More
Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox
– CBC Radio Ideas with Paul Kennedy. "Machiavelli: The Prince of Paradox" Nov 5, 2013. CBC Radio 1.Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC “Ideas” radio program on Machiavelli featuring Harvey C. Mansfield, Clifford Orwin, Michelle Clarke, and Erica Brenner. Comedian Rick… More