The history of political thought tends to concentrate on the outstanding works of each period. Very often, however, the minor writers can be shown to have had a greater contemporary influence, and to have reflected more accurately the preoccupations of politicians of the day.
For this reason minor writers are discussed by the author more fully than might be expected, though Aristotle, Plato and Augustine receive full consideration.
The study opens with an assessment of the Greek contribution to the first Western speculations on the nature, origins and purposes of government. In the examination of the ideas of Plato and Aristotle, which follows, the question whether they, in a sense, gave political thought a false start is considered. All later political thought has concentrated on some aspect of liberty, equality or fraternity, while only in a very limited sense did Classical Greece pursue any of these. Among the accepted views which the author revises is the extent of the Roman contribution to political thought, which he thinks has been underestimated. Lastly, the effects of Christianity on political thought are examined; in particular the consequent interweaving of permanent political with moral issues. New emphasis is placed on the way in which the church was compelled to work out its political theories at short notice when, under Constantine, the Empire unexpectedly became Christian The work concluded with a full analysis of the position and importance of St. Augustine.