A Laboratory of Liberty
Author | : Marc Lerner |
Publisher | : BRILL |
Total Pages | : 387 |
Release | : 2011-10-14 |
ISBN-10 | : 9789004214644 |
ISBN-13 | : 900421464X |
Rating | : 4/5 (64X Downloads) |
Download or read book A Laboratory of Liberty written by Marc Lerner and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2011-10-14 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looking at a series of Swiss political debates, this book offers a case study of a revolutionary transformation to a rights-based society and political culture. Based on a tradition of political innovation and experimentation, Swiss citizens recalibrated their understanding of liberty and republicanism from 1750 to 1848. The resulting hybrid political culture centered around republican ideas, changing understandings of liberty and self-rule. Drawing from the public political debates in three characteristic cantons, A Laboratory of Liberty places the Swiss transformation into a European context. Current trends in Revolutionary studies focus on the revolution in its global context and this book demonstrates that the Swiss case enhances our understanding of the debates over the nature of liberty in the transatlantic world during the Age of Revolution.