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"A Small History of Political Thought" is a collection of essays written by Victor Nuovo. It contains thirty-three essays beginning with the ancients, Plato and Aristotle, continuing with notable moderns, including Machiavelli, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Diderot, and concluding with Madison and the U.S. Constitution. The general theme is the nature and purpose of civil government and the norms that govern it.
The essays previously appeared in the Addison County Independent, a local newspaper serving Middlebury and surrounding towns in Addison County, Vermont. They were written to make political philosophy accessible to the public at a time when our political institutions are under great stress and public diligence is requisite.
About the author
Victor Nuovo was born and raised in New York City. As a graduate student he attended Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University, receiving his Ph.D. from Columbia in 1964. In 1962 Victor joined the faculty of Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, and first taught religion and then philosophy, becoming chair of the department. He retired from Middlebury in 1994 as Charles A. Dana Professor of Philosophy Emeritus. In 1996 he was appointed
Visiting Fellow at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and reappointed the following year as a Senior Research Fellow, a position he still holds. Victor's area of specialty is the history of philosophy, in particular, 17th century English philosophy. He has published six books about the English philosopher John Locke, most recently, "John Locke: The Philosopher as Christian Virtuoso" (Oxford University Press).
In 2006 he was elected to the Town of Middlebury's select board and served on the board for more than ten years.
Victor has been married since 1953 to Betty Nuovo, a former Vermont State Representative. They have two sons and four grandchildren and reside in Middlebury, Vermont.
