This book contains selected passages from significant works by some of the most influential thinkers in European history, to include: Machiavelli Descartes Marx Luther Spinoza Engels Calvin Kant Darwin Voltaire De Tocqueville Zwingli Rousseau Bismarck Locke Paine Lenin Newton Burke Churchill More … The biographical sketches that accompany these documents are designed to help students place each source in its proper context. Readers are urged to contemplate why, when, where, and how these words were first delivered. In some cases students may discern that the cares and concerns of those who have gone before us are not substantially different from our own concerns. It is the aim of the text for readers to see how these words have influenced the modern world.This work is designed to introduce readers to some of the main currents of European thought from the Renaissance to the modern era. While not comprehensive, it includes some of the most influential thinkers of the modern era. It is the opinion of the editors that exposure to these primary sources will enhance oneOs study of European history. The editors take full responsibility for any omissions that have occurred or for any errors that have taken place in the editing process.