This book offers a detailed study of political argument in early eighteenth-century England, a time in which the politics of virtue were vigorously pursued - and just as vigorously challenged. In tracing the emergence of a privately orientated conception of civic virtue from the period's public discourse, this book not only challenges the received notions of the fortunes of virtue in the early modern era but provides a promising critical perspective on the question of what sort of politics of virtue is possible or desirable today.

The various essays in this volume explore the development of ideas of corruption, employing a range of disciplinary approaches. Although we are accustomed to think of corruption as the misuse of public office for private gain, corruption has its deeper roots in the idea of a standard that has been eroded. That standard, however, need not be construed idealistically: much of what is asserted to be corruption takes the form of a departure from conventional standards. In inveighing against corruption, therefore, it is necessary first to examine the presumptions that underlie its imputation. As well as exploring the ethical issues that must be confronted in identifying corruption, the authors also address some of the ethical issues that challenge attempts to root out corruption.

This book offers a detailed study of political argument in early eighteenth-century England, a time in which the politics of virtue were vigorously pursued - and just as vigorously challenged. In tracing the emergence of a privately orientated conception of civic virtue from the period??'s public discourse, this book not only challenges the received notions of the fortunes of virtue in the early modern era but provides a promising critical perspective on the question of what sort of politics of virtue is possible or desirable today.