Scope and Contents Seven essays written by Roy Porter while studying for the 'Theories of the Modern State' paper for Part II of the Cambridge History Tripos during one term of the academic year 1967-68. The essays bear comments by Porter's supervisor, Quentin Skinner. Six of the essays have titles: '"In defending Utilitarianism, J. S. Mill thoroughly subverted it" - Is this a fair comment?'; 'Analyse and explain the centrality of the idea of the Common Good in [T. H.] Green's political thinking'; 'If the...