LawsonsPoliticaisasystematictreatiseonpoliticsinChurchandState,andisarguablythemostsignificantworkofpoliticaltheorytohavebeenprintedduringtheRestorationcrisisof1659-60.Theworkwaswidelydiscussedduringtheseventeenthcenturyanditsconceptualvocabularyappliedindiscussionsoftherevolutionof1688-9,whenitwasalsoposthumouslyrepublished.DespiteLawsonsfame,however,hisworkfellintorelativeobscurityduringtheeighteenthcenturybuthasrecentlybeenthesubjectofrenewedscholarlyinterest.Politicahasbeenreassessedasbothhistoricallyandtheoreticallysignificant,andLawsonscontextualandinterpretativeimportanceemphasized,asawriterwhoenrichesourunderstandingofHobbesandLocke.Thisnewmodemeditionisthefirsttobebasedon,andtocorrect,therareandbadlyprintededitionof1660andthepartiallycorrectededitionof1689.Containingafullscholarlyapparatus,itisdesignedtomakethissignificantworkaccessibletostudentsaswellasspecialiststhroughsubstantialintroductionandnotes,contextualmaterialandbibliographicalguide.
CONALCONI)RENisProfessorofPoliticalScienceintheUniversityofNewSouthWales.HisbooksincludeStatusandAppraisalofClassicTexts(1985)andGeorgeLawsonsPoliticaandtheEnglishRevolution1989).