Title page from The Liberty of Ancients Compared with that of Moderns (1819)

The Liberty of Ancients Compared with that of Moderns (1819)

Constant’s classic work in which he contrasts unfavorably the purely political liberties of the ancients with the far more expansive notion of liberty among the moderns.

Related People

Key Quotes

Politics & Liberty

The effects of commerce extend even further: not only does it emancipate individuals, but, by creating credit, it places authority itself in a position of dependence. Money, says a French writer, ‘is the most dangerous weapon of despotism; yet it is at the same time its most powerful restraint;…

Critical Responses

Connected Readings