Rousseau and the renewal of philosophy

The challenge of the possibility of a logical basis for our political life and its direction in the postmodern era was an impetus to re-examine the research that dealt with the writings of previous political philosophers. This reconsideration is intended to revive the ancient or classical foundations of civic reason, and to clarify the strengths and weaknesses of modern philosophical rationalism. This series responds to this uproar by providing innovative new academic knowledge in the history of political philosophy, knowledge driven by the rediscovery of the various rhetorical strategies adopted by political philosophers. The series includes interpretive studies concerned with historical context and language, and with the ways in which censorship and didactic concerns have compelled distinguished thinkers to employ divergent strategies, in highly diverse cultural settings, to formulate comprehensive plans that allow them to address different audiences characterized by varying degrees of openness to unconventional thinking.