The Origin of the Distinction of Ranks - (Natural Law and Enlightenment Classics) by John Millar (Paperback)

The Origin of the Distinction of Ranks is a masterpiece of jurisprudence and social theory that provides a rich historical analysis of how progressive economic change transforms the nature of authority.

This book by John Millar offers an empirical account of how rights arise and how they change, as well as a means to understand the historical discrepancies in the scope of authority.

The text provides a fascinating portrait of the intellectual milieu of Glasgow in the 1770s, including the teaching of law at the University and the great regard in which Millar was held.

The book also includes appendices of Millar's own preface to the first edition and his Lectures on Government.

With a focus on familial rights, Millar addresses the problem of natural rights by pushing them within an aggressively historical theoretical framework.

This edition is an excellent introduction to Millar's work and provides a welcome contribution to the ever-widening debate on the historical and juridical sociology of the Scottish Enlightenment.