István Hont (1947–2013), a visionary scholar of European political thought, left behind a treasure trove of unpublished material after his death. This book unveils seven of his groundbreaking essays, offering a revolutionary intellectual history of the Marxian concept of communism and tracing its origins back to seventeenth-century natural jurisprudence, specifically Samuel Pufendorf.

Hont masterfully integrates the history and theory of politics and economics, enriching contemporary debates with insights from the past. These essays showcase his extraordinary intellectual ambition and historical imagination, arguing for the abandonment of Marxism and providing a compelling roadmap for doing so. Discover how Hont reinterprets the intellectual landscape, challenging conventional wisdom and offering a fresh perspective on the trajectory of political and economic thought.