Maitland: State Trust and Corporation. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought.

by Frederic William Maitland, David Runciman (Editor), Magnus Ryan (Editor)

The essays collected in State, Trust and Corporation contain the reflections of England's greatest legal historian on the legal, historical and philosophical origins of the idea of the state. All written in the first years of the twentieth century, Maitland's essays are classics both of historical writing and of political theory. They contain a series of profound insights into the way the character of the state has been shaped by the non-political associations that exist alongside it, and their themes are of continuing relevance today. This is the first new edition of these essays for sixty years, and the first of any kind to contain full translations, glossary and expository introduction. It has been designed to make Maitland's writings fully accessible to the non-specialist, and to make available to anyone interested in the idea of the state some of the most important modern writings in English on that subject.

Genres: Politics, Philosophy

202 pages, ebook

First published November 12, 1999

About the author

Frederic William Maitland, FBA was an English historian and lawyer who is generally regarded as the modern father of English legal history.

Reviews

[Illiterate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maitland is very good on the legal history of groups. (I’m not convinced by the editors’ claim he tells us about the origins and character of the state.)

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting essays. Is the selection worth £29? Probably not. The final essay is compelling and rewards careful attention, but the others are of more limited interest and, though helpful, not necessary in setting up the final essay. I certainly hope to avoid any more reading on the 'corporation sole' in the foreseeable future.