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 General Will was a statement of fundmental ethical principle, why do we go to Rousseau for political ideas?'; 'Analyse and explain the meaning of Real Freedom for Hegel'; 'Analyse the meaning of Ideology for Marx'; 'Is there some "Reason of Principle" or is it merely due to the incompetence of practitioners that "the kind of success that the natural sciences have had is here [sc. in social sciences] unattainable"?'. The other essay is untitled and begins "If the content of law -- i.e. in H. L. A. Hart's terminology the primary rules which are moral obligations in a society...".