Political Writings

Richard Price (1723-1791) was an eminent Welsh philosopher and Dissenting Minister. His political pamphlets won him considerable fame in the eighteenth century as a supporter of the American rebels in their struggle for independence, and for the enthusiasm with which he greeted the opening events of the French Revolution. It was this enthusiasm which provoked Edmund Burke into writing Reflections on the Revolution in France. Price is noteworthy as a defender of freedom of thought (especially on religious matters), as a proponent of parliamentary reform, and as an advocate of a minimalist conception of government. He espoused the doctrine of natural rights and the principle of self-government. This book is a collection of Price\'s most important pamphlets of the period 1759-1789, and is accompanied by a comprehensive introduction putting Price’s work in context, complete bibliographical material, a chronology, and biographical notes on persons mentioned in the texts.

Introduction; Chronology; Bibliography; Biographical notes; A note on the texts and acknowledgements; Britain’s happiness; Two tracts; General introduction; Observations on the nature of civil liberty; Additional observations; Fast Sermon; Observations on the importance of the American Revolution; The evidence for a future period of improvement in the state of mankind; A discourse on the love of our country; Index.