Preservation, Conversion, and Innovation
Subtitle: The Evaluation of Political Novelty from Plato to Machiavelli
Contributors: Mansfield, Harvey C.; Nelson, Eric; Tuck, Richard
Published: 2012
Language: eng
Description: A premier distinction of liberal democracy is its praise of novelty and change, in the form of technological innovations and new expressions of personal liberty. To understand and critique our dedication to innovation, I study classical, medieval and early modern views on what the most important changes are for human beings&mdash;the changes of political regime and the changes of the soul. The philosophers from Plato to Machiavelli studied the desirability and possibility of political preservation, the effects of conversion and its relationship to notions of divine providence, and the changes brought by new religious institutions of a quasi-political character.
Notes: Keywords: conversion, innovation, newness, novelty, politics, preservation.

Thesis Ph.D. Harvard University 2012