The Political Thought of Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon

Abstract

In this work an attempt will be made to present and discuss the political thought of Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, Lord Chancellor of England in the reign of Charles the Second. The subject of political thought includes the whole study of Man and Government, discussed as a system related in all its aspects. When the views of a particular thinker are examined, one must consider what value they possess as ideas, whether they were consistently held throughout that person's life, and whether they were in accord with his practices in his life. A still wider view must be taken; in what way the opinions being studied are related to the thought of others contemporary with that person. An enquiry of this nature must be built up in a systematic way, while all evidence that is obtained and conclusions that are drawn, must be based in the first instance on contemporary documents. Care must be taken not to judge the ideas and actions of the past in the terms of the present, but conclusions that can be proved valid as a basis for later action under similar conditions may be drawn in a careful way. Whether a writer is also an active participant in the political life of his country, or whether he analyses that life from a distance and builds a system of thought on this foundation, he must still be influenced to some degree by the events and ideas of his times. It is possible that the considered judgments of the active politician have greater practical value, but the conclusions that an external observer draws may have the advantage of greater freedom from temporary factors that could influence them.