Friendship and Politics

Throughout the history of Western political philosophy the idea of friendship has occupied a central place in the conversation. It is only in the context of the modern era that friendship has lost its prominence. By retrieving the concept of friendship for philosophical investigation these essays invite readers to consider how our political principles become manifest in our private lives. They provide a timely corrective to contemporary confusion plaguing this central experience of our public and our private life.This volume assembles essays by well-known scholars who address contemporary concerns about community in the context of philosophical ideas about friendship. Part One includes essays on ancient philosophers including Plato Aristotle and Cicero. Part Two considers treatments of friendship by Christian thinkers such as Augustine Aquinas Luther and Calvin and Part Three continues with Thomas Hobbes Montaigne the American founders and de Tocqueville. The volume concludes with two essays that address the postmodern emphasis on fragmentation and the dynamics of power within the modern state.Contributors: John von Heyking Richard Avramenko James M. Rhodes Stephen M. Salkever Walter Nicgorski Jeanne Heffernan Schindler Thomas Heilke Timothy Fuller Travis D. Smith George Carey Joshua Mitchell and Jürgen Gebhardt.