Guilds and Civil Society in European Political Thought from the Twelfth Century to the Present

Studying the views held of guilds and their place in political society by guild members, philosophers, and jurists, Black (history of political thought, U. of Dundee, UK) suggests that the corporatists values championed by the guilds were as important in the foundations of modern European political thought and the formation and legitimation of European states as those of liberal individualism. In the move away from feudalism, the individual gained his liberty in and through his incorporation into guild and civic structures. This reprint of the 1984 work is accompanied by a new introduction in which Black connects his European thesis to related processes in other parts of the world. Annotation c. Book News, Inc.,Portland, OR