Harrington's Empire of Law

29 Pages Posted: 19 Jul 2010 Last revised: 2 Aug 2010

See all articles by Frank Lovett

Frank Lovett

Washington University in St. Louis

Date Written: June 2010

Abstract

Nearly every reader of James Harrington has taken his theory that property is the foundation of government to be his central and most enduring contribution to political thought. Operating within this standard reading, most of the extensive literature on Harrington has focused on derivative issues, such as the accuracy and depth of his economic reading of English history, or the extent to which his mechanistic account of political institutions displaced more traditional republican accounts of civic virtue. But the standard reading is incomplete. For example, it is puzzling on this reading why Harrington should single out Thomas Hobbes as his chief opponent. To demonstrate the incompleteness of the standard reading, this paper will examine a relatively neglected aspect of Oceana: namely, the sharp contrast drawn throughout the work between those communities organized as an “empire of laws” and those organized as an “empire of men.” As it turns out, Harrington strikes upon a deep problem, not noticed by previous authors in the classical republican tradition, but nevertheless lying at the very conceptual core of republican theory. Examining this problem in detail is both interesting in its own right, insofar as it sheds light on some central issues in republican theory, and in the renewed historical appreciation it brings to our reading of Harrington as well.

Keywords: James Harrington, Republicanism, Rule of Law

Suggested Citation

Lovett, Frank, Harrington's Empire of Law (June 2010). APSA 2010 Annual Meeting Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1641780

Frank Lovett (Contact Author)

Washington University in St. Louis ( email )

One Brookings Drive
Campus Box 1208
Saint Louis, MO MO 63130-4899
United States

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