Abstract
Jason Kuznicki reviews ancient sources that were skeptical of political authority, including particularly the Epicureans and Stoics, who laid the foundations for future theories of limited government and cosmopolitanism. Antiphon the Sophist, Diogenes and Cicero are examined, paying particular attention to the role they assigned to political power in their social theories. Connections are drawn between these authors and classical liberalism. It is noted that absent a viable theory of economics, adequate justification for limited government is exceptionally difficult.
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Kuznicki, J. (2017). The Ancient Dissenters. In: Technology and the End of Authority. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48692-5_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48692-5_3
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Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-48691-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-48692-5
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