New in paperback this widely acclaimed volume presents the finest account of contemporary republican principles. The book examines traditional republican conceptions of freedom, negative and positive views of liberty and the implementation of the idea.

This is the first full-length presentation of a republican alternative to the liberal and communitarian theories that have dominated political philosophy in recent years. Pettit's eloquent and compelling account opens with an examination of the traditional republican conception of freedom as non-domination, contrasting this with established negative and positive views of liberty.

Petit's work is a major advance on previous studies of republican political philosophy. In terms of analytical rigour and imaginative insight, it is easily the best book on the subject.