Croce, Gramsci, Bobbio and the Italian Political Tradition

In advancing the tantalising claims that the Italians invented modern politics as well as one of the most important political traditions we have for understanding it, Richard Bellamy's new book is sure to entice and provoke all readers concerned with modern political theory and politics. Bellamy's decision to collect his essays, published between 1984 and 2005, into a single volume is therefore most welcome. Through them he shows how the diverse titular thinkers thought through problems of force and consent, morality and utility, mass movements and democracy, the social role of critical intellectuals, and the critical and utopian dimensions of liberalism and socialism. The result is an important book by one of our most sophisticated observers of contemporary politics. -- Walter L Adamson, Emory University

This is a brilliant and much-needed book on the history of political ideas in modern Italy. An excellent text both for students of Italy's political thought, and for scholars of democratic theory. -- Nadia Urbinati, Columbia University

Admirably combining conceptual and historical analysis, this collection of essays provides a series of imaginative interpretations of some important Italian thinkers. The essays, all published during the past 30 years also remind us that Richard Bellamy's world-class contribution in this field has been inspired by his sustained engagement with the premises and principles of liberalism. While specialists in Italian thought will be especially grateful to ECPR Press for gathering these valuable essays together in a single volume, Bellamy's clear and elegant arguments should be of interest to all students of political theory. -- Joseph V Femia, University of Liverpool

Richard Bellamy is Professor of Political Science and Director of the European Institute, University College London. In 2012 he was awarded the British Academy's Serena Medal 'for eminent services towards the furtherance of the study of Italian history, literature, art or economics'. His Italian publications include Modern Italian Social Theory (Polity Press and Stanford, 1987) and (with Darrow Schecter) Gramsci and the Italian State (Manchester University Press, 1993) along with critical editions of Beccaria, Gramsci and Bobbio.