Republicanism Sinophilia And Historical Writing

This is an exemplary study of Medieval scholarship, Classical reception and philosophical Sinophilia as propaganda devices in 18th century England. Thomas Gordon (c.1691-1750) was a prolific Scottish journalist and pamphleteer working in eighteenth-century London. His works circulated in a variety of forms and for many years in Europe and the British North American colonies. Gordon's conception of 'republicanism' was essentially that of a secular and tolerant society free from providential designs; his works reflected a lifelong commitment to defending the rule of law, the balance of powers, and the rotation of representative bodies. This study sets out to produce a fuller profile of Gordon, to investigate his specific and controversial contribution as a political theorist, and finally to present for the first time an annotated edition of his unfinished and unpublished (mainly medieval)' History of England'.