This book’s primary purpose is to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Montesquieu’s Persian Letters, a seminal book in classical liberal thought. Persian Letters is a delightfully rich, sympathetic satire of commercial society’s promise and discontents, covering a wide range of issues and themes that shaped the direction of liberal modernity. It consists of a series of letters largely written by two Persian travelers to Paris, who allow modern readers to view Parisian life from the perspective of an outsider. The volume includes contributions from prominent scholars of Montesquieu’s and early career scholars who have recently unearthed new and exciting avenues for understanding this important hinge-figure in modern political thought.

Contributions by: Megan Gallagher, Ryan Patrick Hanley, Rebecca Kingston, Pauline Kra, Peter Lund, Michael Mosher, Emily Nacol, Andrea Radasanu, Helena Rosenblatt, John T. Scott, Robert Sparling, Céline Spector, Vickie B. Sullivan, Lee Ward, Stuart D. Warner