Cicero, Politics, and the 21st Century

Scott B. Nelson, Matthew Edwards

• Publisher: Academica Press
• Year: 2022
• eBook ISBN: 9781680538779
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: 21st Century History
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Cicero, Politics, and the 21 st Century addresses the West's current crisis of confidence. Reflecting on how the famed Roman philosopher-statesmen Marcus Tullius Cicero thought and acted in a time of great turbulence in the ancient world, this book offers lessons to 21 st century students of politics and statesmen alike. Cicero's example shows that the survival of liberal democracy requires us to recover a sense of nobility in politics – a balance of power, honor, and justice with the pursuit of truth for the common good.

Cicero, Politics, and the 21 st Century brings the reader into the dirty politics of the late Roman Republic and tells how Cicero rose to the top in this environment. He managed to work with people who were often diametrically opposed to him, juggling different power blocks and interest groups, while trying to implement reforms, all at a time when the state apparatus and public consensus holding the Republic together were breaking down. Cicero was able to attain power, all the while maintaining his integrity and advancing the interests of his people. Additionally, Cicero and his time bring much needed perspective to our political thinking by enabling us to examine events through a prism of assumptions different from those we have inherited from the turmoil of the 20 th century.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Acknowledgements
• Contents
• Chronology
• Dramatis Personae
• Vignette – Romulus’ Cesspit
• Introduction
• Part I: Power and Politics
• Part II: Truth and Politics
• Part III: Nobility and Politics
• Bibliography
• Index