On of the most authoritative figures of Italian Catholic philosophy, Sergio Cotta has always enriched his studies on political thought with both historical investigation and more speculative approaches. This volume - a collection of the best among his many, varied writings - deals mostly with his historical efforts, with special emphasis on two major focuses: 18th century political thought, of which Cotta is a major scholar, and Christian political thought. The part of the text on the 18th century is centred on Montesquieu and Rousseau; the part on Christian thought is centred on St. Augustine and Rosmini. The book's final section addresses Cotta's more philosophical endeavours and includes reflections on topics such as revolution, responsibility, law, secularisation, peace, and the relationship between ethics and politics.

Sergio Cotta taught Philosophy of Law in the Universities of Turin, Perugia, Trieste, Florence, and Rome. From 1965 to 1995 he was the director of the Philosophy of Law Institute of the University of Rome's Faculty of Law.