Manual of Political Ethics, Designed Chiefly for the Use of Colleges and Students at Law

Book excerpt: Lieber, Francis. Manual of Political Ethics, Designed Chiefly for the Use of Colleges and Students at Law. Second Edition, Revised. Edited by Theodore D. Woolsey. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1890. Two volumes. Reprinted 2003 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 2002044392. ISBN 1-58477-345-6. Cloth $160. * Reprint of second edition. First published in 1838 and 1839, Lieber's Manual of Political Ethics, a comprehensive theory of the state, is one of his most significant and influential works. It was one of the first treatises on political science, and the first written in the United States. Strongly influenced by German Idealism, it argues that the state is the ultimate expression of humanity's ancient quest for moral, ethical and spiritual fulfillment. As much a work of advocacy as it is of theory, it urges the reader to consider the moral obligations that arise from his participation in government and other civil institutions. Lieber's influence as an educator will make the work of interest to scholars of legal education as well as students of law and government. Theodore D. Woolsey [1801-1889], a professor at Yale (and later its president), was one of the founding fathers of American political science.