The Intellectual Revolution of the Seventeenth Century

459 Pages·2011·8.478 MB·English

by  Charles Webster (ed.)

Routledge Revivals
The Intellectual Revolution of the
Seventeenth Century
Intellectual history and early modern history have always occupied an
important place in Past and Present. First published in 1974, this
volume is a collection of original articles and debates, published in the
journal between 1953 and 1973, dealing with many aspects of the
intellectual history of the seventeenth century. Several of the contribu-
tions have been extremely influential, and the debates represent major
standpoints in controversies over the genesis of modern ideas.
Although England is the focus of attention for most of the con-
tributors, their themes have wider significance. Among the topics cov-
ered in the collection are the political thought of the Levellers and of
James Harrington; radical social movements of the Puritan Revolution;
the ideological context of physiological theories associated with Wil-
liam Harvey; the relationship between science and religion and the
social relations of science; and the function of millenarianism and
eschatology in the seventeenth century. The editor’s Introduction
indicates the context in which the articles were composed and provides
valuable bibliographical information about the subjects discussed.
The Intellectual Revolution
of the Seventeenth Century
Edited by
Charles Webster
Firstpublishedin1974
byRoutledge&KeganPaulLtd
Thiseditionfirstpublishedin2011byRoutledge
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,Oxon,OX144RN
SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada
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©1974PastandPresentSociety
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ALibraryofCongressrecordexistsunderISBN:0710078447
ISBN13:978-0-415-69478-0(hbk)
ISBN13:978-0-203-14521-0(ebk)
THE INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION OF
THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
Past and Present Series
GENERAL EDITOR: TREVOR ASTON
CONTRIBUTORS
G. E. Aylmer William Lamont
David E. Brewster C. B. Macpherson
Bernard Capp S. F. Mason
J. C. Davis Lotte Mulligan
Margaret 'Espinasse John F. H. New
J. A. W. Gunn Theodore K. Rabb
Christopher Hill Barbara J. Shapiro
J
Roger Howell r Keith Thomas
H. F. Kearney Charles Webster
Gweneth Whitteridge
Alrea4J published in this series
Studies in Ancient Society
edited by M. I. Finley
THE INTELLECTUAL
REVOL UTION OF THE
SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY
Past and Present Series
GENERAL EDITOR: TREVOR ASTON
Edited by
CHARLES WEBSTER
ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL
London and Boston
First published in I!l74
by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd
BroadwC!J House, 68-74 Carter Lane,
London EC4 V JEL and
!I Park Street,
Boston, Mass. 02I08, U.S.A.
Set in Monorype Garamond
and printed in Great Britain by
Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome and London
© Past and Present Sociery I!l74
No part of this book mC!J be reproduced in
orry form without permission from the
publisher, except for the quotation of brief
passages in criticism
ISBN 0 7IOO 7844 7
CONTENTS
PREFACE page ix
I. INTRODUCTION I
Charles Webster, Wellcome Unit for the
History of Medicine, Oxford
II. HARRINGTON'S 'OPPORTUNITY STATE' Z3
C. B. Macpherson, Universiry of Toronto
Debate
III. HARRINGTON, A REALIST? 54
John F. H. New, Universiry of Waterloo
IV. HARRINGTON AS REALIST: A REJOINDER 6z
C. B. Macpherson, Universiry of Toronto
V. THE MEANING OF HARRINGTON'S
AGRARIAN
John F. H. New, Universiry of Waterloo
VI. THE LEVELLERS AND DEMOCRACY 70
J. C. Davis, Victoria Universiry of Wellington
VII. RECONSIDERING THE LEVELLERS: THE
EVIDENCE OF THE 'MODERATE' 79
Roger Howell J r, Bowdoin College, Brunswick
and David E. Brewster, Falls Church,
Virginia
CONTENTS
VIII. GENTLEMEN LEVELLERS? 101
G. E. Aylmer, University oj York
IX. 'ENGLANDS SPIRIT UNFOULDED, OR AN IN
COURAGEMENT TO TAKE THE ENGAGE
MENT': A NEWLY DISCOVERED PAMPHLET
BY GERRARD WINSTANLEY 109
G. E. Aylmer, University of York
X. ANOTHER DIGGER BROADSIDE 124
Keith Thomas, St John's College, Oxford
XI. THE DATE OF GERRARD WINSTANLEY'S
'FIRE IN THE BUSH' 138
Keith Thomas, St John's College, Oxford
XII. THE 'CIVIL POLITY' OF PETER PAXTON 14,Z
J.
A. W. Gunn, Queen's University, Kingston
XIII. WILLIAM HARVEY AND THE IDEA OF
MONARCHY 160
Christopher Hill, Balliol College, Oxford
Debate
XIV. WILLIAM HARVEY: A ROYALIST AND NO
PARLIAMENTARIAN 182
Gweneth Whitteridge, Oxford
XV. WILLIAM HARVEY (NO PARLIAMENTARIAN,
NO HERETIC) AND THE IDEA OF MONARCHY 189
Christopher Hill, Balliol College, Oxford
XVI. SCIENCE AND RELIGION IN SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY ENGLAND
S. F. Mason, King's College, London
XVII. PURITANISM, CAPITALISM AND THE SCIEN-
TIFIC REVOLUTION 218
H. F. Kearney, University oj Edinburgh
vi