Introduction. The problem of the twentieth century ; The decline of political theory
The foundations of the Enlightenment. The rise of modern science ; Cartesianism ; Scepticism ; The rise of toleration ; Locke's theory of knowledge ; The problem of good and evil ; The rise of political liberalism ; Montesquieu and the rule of law ; The historiography of the Enlightenment
The Enlightenment of the eighteenth century. Materialism ; Voltaire and the war on religion ; The French utilitarians ; Hume and philosophic sceptism ; Diderot : science and morals ; Rousseau ; The politics of the Enlightenment
The frustration of the Enlightenment. The wars of the French Revolution ; The rise of nationalism ; The idea of sovereignty ; Idealism and pessimism
Conclusion. The moral crisis of the twentieth century ; The restoration of moral and political theory.