It is surprising that this should be the first English translation of Benjamin Constant's political writings - indeed of any of his writings with the exception of the novelAdolphey It is surprising if only because Constant is one of the few continental thinkers to have gained admission to the eminently Anglo-Saxon sanctuary of the fathers of modernWestern liberalism. It is even more surprising since Constant himself,who was educated in Scodand and spoke excellent English, was greatly influenced by, and felt deep affinities with British culture. His friend Madame de Stael mockingly immortalized this Anglophilia when she cast him in the role of the admirable, if somewhat splenetic, Lord Oswald Nevil in her novel Corinne?

在政治理论领域，“剑桥政治思想史原著系列”作为主要的学生教科丛书，如今已牢固确立了其地位。本丛书旨在使学生能够获得从古希腊到20世纪初期西方政治思想史方面所有最为重要的原著。它囊括了所有著名的经典原著，但与此同时，它又扩展了传统的评价尺度，以便能够纳入范围广泛、不那么出名的作品。而在此之前，这些作品中有许多从未有过现代英文版本可资利用。只要可能，所选原著都会以完整而不删节的形式出版，其中的译作则是专门为本丛书的目的而安排。每一本书都有一个评论性的导言，加上历史年表、生平梗概、进一步阅读指南，以及必要的词汇表和原文注解。

本丛书的最终目的是，为西方政治思想的整个发展脉络提供一个清晰的轮廓。

Acknowledgements

Introduction

     THE SPIRIT OF CONQUEST AND

   USURPATION AND THEIR RELATION

      TO EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION

Bibliographical note

Preface to the first edition

Preface to the third edition

Foreword to the fourth edition

    Part I The spirit of conquest

The virtues compatible with war at given stages of social

development

The character of modem nations in relation to war

The spirit of conquest in the present condition of Europe

Of a military race acting on self-interest alone

A further reason for the deterioration of the military class

within the system of conquest

The influence of this military spirit upon the internal

condition of nations

A further drawback of the formation of this military spirit

The effect of a conquering government upon the mass of

the nation

Means of coercion necessary to supplement the efficacy

of falsehood

Further drawbacks of the system of warfare for enlightenment

and the educated class

The point of view from which a conquering nation today

would regard its own successes

Effect of these successes upon the conquered peoples

On uniformity

The inevitable end to the successes of a conquering nation

Results of the system of warfare in the present age

      Part II Usurpation

The specific aim of the comparison between usurpation

and monarchy

Differences between usurpation and monarchy

One respect in which usurpation is more hateful than

absolute despotism

Usurpation cannot survive in this period of our civilization

Can usurpation not be maintained by force?

The kind of liberty offered to men at the end of the last

century

The modem imitators of the republics of antiquity.

The means employed to give to the modems the liberty of

the ancients

Does the aversion of the modems for this pretended liberty

imply that they love despotism?

A sophism in favour of arbitrary power exercised by one man

The effects of arbitrary power upon the different aspects of

human existence

The effects of arbitrary power upon intellectual progress

Religion under arbitrary power

Men's inability to resign themselves voluntarily to arbitrary

power in any form

Despotism as a means of preserving usurpation

The effect of illegal and despotic measures on regular

governments themselves

Implications of the preceding considerations in relation

to despotism

Causes which make despotism particularly impossible at this

age of our civilization

As usurpation cannot be maintained through despotism,

since in our days despotism itself cannot last, usurpation

has no chance of enduring

Additions to The spirit of conquest and usurpation

           CHAPTERS ADDED TO THE FOURTH EDITION:

On innovation, reform and the uniformity and stability of

institutions

Further reflections on usurpation

           On usurpation

Answer to an objection which could be drawn from

the example of William III

PRINCIPLES OF POLITICS APPLICABLE TO ALL

   REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENTS

Bibliographical note

Foreword

On the sovereignty of the people

The nature of royal power in a constitutional monarchy

On the right to dissolve representative assemblies

On a hereditary assembly and on the importance of not

limiting the number of its members

On the election of representative assemblies

On the conditions of property

On discussion in the representative assemblies

On the right to initiate legislation

On the responsibility of ministers

On the declaration that ministers are unworthy of public

trust

On the responsibility of subordinates

On municipal power, local authorities and a new kind of

federalism

On the right to declare war and make peace

On the organization of armed forces in a constitutional state

On the inviolability of property 

On the liberty of the press

On religious liberty

On the liberty of the individual

On judicial guarantees

Final considerations

     THE LIBERTY OF THE ANCIENTS

COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE MODERNS

Bibliographical note

Bibliography

Index