"The idea of the republic is basic to Western political theory, yet the political philosophy of republicanism is all too often marginalized or misunderstood. In this authoritative, eminently readable study, Maurizio Viroli explores its history and meaning, from its origins with Aristotle and in classical Rome to its renaissance with Machiavelli and other exponents of Italian republican ideals, then to its great flowering in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with Locke, Kant, Rousseau, Thomas Paine, and the Founding Fathers.". "But Republicanism is much more than a historical survey, for Viroli is also calling for a contemporary renewal of classical republicanism. While present-day liberal democracy emphasizes citizens' natural, inalienable rights and their freedom from interference, classical republicanism emphasizes an equally administered rule of law as a guarantee of freedom from arbitrary coercion. Republicanism argues that the latter definition of liberty in a free republic is both philosophically and practically superior, especially in our current climate of apathy and cynicism toward politics and government. Viroli makes a passionate and convincing plea for a rebirth of republicanism to rescue patriotism and civic engagment from nationalistic and religious demagogues, and to reinvigorate our democratic institutions so that we can face the challenges of a dynamic and uncertain future."--BOOK JACKET.