Examines how Montesquieu, Hume, Smith, and Ferguson's foundational liberal theories responded to the moral and civic challenges of early capitalism Brings together discussions of key Enlightenment thinkers Montesquieu, David Hume, Adam Smith, and Adam Ferguson Recaptures a conceptual space in the famous eighteenth-century commerce and virtue debates, which illustrates the possibility that one may accept the general principles of modernity while maintaining a healthy skepticism towards commerce Compares how Montesquieu and key thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment developed their distinct theories of honour in the context of eighteenth-century high finance, namely, in response to the infamous collapse of the Mississippi and South Sea 'bubbles' (1720) Provides a heuristic device for identifying when commercial innovation poses a threat to liberal societies, and a framework for balancing commercial ends with the public good under conditions of liberal democracy Expands the currency of ideas available in foundational liberal thought for identifying an emotional quality that is necessary for twentyfirst-century citizenship Montesquieu's Moderate Liberalism and the Scottish Enlightenment responds to a perennial problem in political theory: how to balance commercial considerations with the public good. It investigates this dilemma through the lenses of Enlightenment thinkers whose liberal theories responded to the hazards of commercial innovation during capitalism's nascent stages. Vassiliou argues that Montesquieu, David Hume, Adam Smith, and Adam Ferguson represent a moderate perspective in foundational liberal thought, which emphasizes the critical importance of honour. He compares how their liberal theories uniquely channel human beings' desire for honour to nourish a sense of interpersonal magnanimity within an inward-looking, liberal commercial world. In an age of polarized extremes, we have witnessed restive democracies flirting with populist, illiberal responses for managing the hazards of capitalist innovation. Montesquieu and his Scottish counterparts' foundational liberal theories offer us more viable, middle-ground prescriptions which are sensitive to the emotional constitution of a liberal society.

The liberal arts university has been in decline since well before the virtualization of campus life, increasingly inviting public skepticism about its viability as an institution of personal, civic, and professional growth. The current generation of technologies that mediate our formal and informal academic interchanges are crystalizing the echo-chamber allegiances that have developed on our politically charged campuses, frustrating the university’s capacity to foster thoughtful citizenship among tomorrow’s leaders. Moreover, as applications such as Teams and Zoom become ensconced within higher learning institutions, universities will inadvertently replicate the existing socioeconomic inequalities that are poisoning America’s civic culture.   With Liberal Education and Citizenship in a Free Society, a collection of 18 original essays, editors Dyer and Vassiliou hope to deepen our understanding of underappreciated issues in the history of political thought. For the volume, the editors have recruited a remarkable and diverse group of scholars who draw from both their research expertise and personal experience as educators to assess the value of a liberal arts education in the face of the market, technological, cultural, and political forces shaping higher learning today. The contributing authors’ competing perspectives provide innovative insights into how liberal arts universities might adapt to a post-COVID-19 academic environment by recalibrating their long-standing pedagogic aims of helping students formulate self-understanding and the meaning of thoughtful citizenship.

This book’s primary purpose is to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Montesquieu’s Persian Letters, a seminal book in classical liberal thought. Persian Letters is a delightfully rich, sympathetic satire of commercial society’s promise and discontents, covering a wide range of issues and themes that shaped the direction of liberal modernity. It consists of a series of letters largely written by two Persian travelers to Paris, who allow modern readers to view Parisian life from the perspective of an outsider. The volume includes contributions from prominent scholars of Montesquieu’s and early career scholars who have recently unearthed new and exciting avenues for understanding this important hinge-figure in modern political thought.