The Origins of Modern Freedom in the West

Previous volumes in this series have shown how modern freedom - defined with reference to the various liberties and legal guarantees available in differing degrees in contemporary Western societies - emerged most decisively in a modern form in 17th-century England. The present volume looks back in time to address some of the very different ideas, antecedents and realizations of freedom before the modern era. The volume begins with an exploration of the economic and social factors that encouraged the development of freedom in the West, and it then goes on to treat the civil and political liberties that emerged in the ancient world, in medieval Europe, and during the Renaissance and Reformation. Other topics discussed within a loosely chronological framework include the role of the Church, the role of various parliaments and estates, and the role of the common law.