In this book, distinguished French philosopher Pierre Manent addresses a wide range of subjects, including the Machiavellian origins of modernity, Tocqueville's analysis of democracy, the political role of Christianity, the nature of totalitarianism, and the future of the nation-state. As a whole, the book constitutes a meditation on the nature of modern freedom and the permanent discontents which accompany it. Manent is particularly concerned with the effects of modern democracy on the maintenance and sustenance of substantial human ties. Modern Liberty and its Discontents is both an important contribution to an understanding of modern society, and a significant contribution to political philosophy in its own right.

"Manent masterfully decsrcibes the depth of the revolution and its future direction." - First Things, December 1998

"This is a welcome collection of essays by France's leading Straussian, Pierre Manent. It features a helpful introduction by one of the co-editors, Daniel J. Mahoney, that lays out quite clearly Manent's intellectual debt to Raymond Aron and Leo Strauss." - Canadian Journal of Political Science

"The volume covers a wide range of subjects in fifteen essays, felicitously translated from the French by its editors, Daniel J. Mahoney and Paul Seaton. The political reflection found in these essays offers a refreshing alternative to much of today's slef-satisfied liberal theory." - Perspectives on Political Science

"The volume covers a wide range of subjects in fifteen essays, felicitously translated from the French by its editors, Daniel J. Mahoney and Paul Seaton. The political reflection found in these essays offers a refreshing alternative to much of today's slef-satisfied liberal theory." - Perspectives on Political Science