C.B.Macpherson and the Problem of Liberal Democracy

This text provides a background to Macpherson’s work, and an account of its evolution. It offers a critical defence of his interpretation of Hobbes and Locke, as well as an evaluation of liberal, communitarian, Marxist, ecological, feminist, and postmodernist criticisms of his democratic theory. An argument is made for his continuing relevance, seeking to establish his importance for contemporary politcal philosophy, especially democratic theory.