Patrick Thomas Riley (October 27, 1941 – March 10, 2015) was

Michael Oakeshott Michael Joseph Oakeshott FBA (; 11 December 1901 – 19 December 1990) was an English philosopher and political theorist who wrote about philosophy of history, philosophy of religion, aesthetics, philosophy of education, and philosophy of ...

Professor of Political Science at the

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. He is notable for his translations of the political writings of

Gottfried Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz . ( – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent figures in both the history of philosophy and the history of mathem ...

and his research on

social contract theory In moral and political philosophy, the social contract is a theory or model that originated during the Age of Enlightenment and usually, although not always, concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. Social con ...

, the general will, and the history of universal jurisprudence.

Life and career

Riley received his undergraduate degree from

Claremont Men's College Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It has a curricular emphasis on government, economics, public affairs, finance, and international relations. CMC is a member of the Claremont Colleges ...

. He then briefly pursued a career as a conductor, studying at the Mozarteum in

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

, Austria. Shortly thereafter, he earned his M.Phil at

The London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...

under the supervision of

. In 1968, he received his Ph.D. from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

where he studied under Louis Hartz,

John Rawls John Bordley Rawls (; February 21, 1921 – November 24, 2002) was an American moral, legal and political philosopher in the liberal tradition. Rawls received both the Schock Prize for Logic and Philosophy and the National Humanities Medal in ...

and

Judith Shklar Judith Nisse Shklar (September 24, 1928 – September 17, 1992) was a philosopher and political theorist who studied the history of political thought, notably that of the Enlightenment period. She was appointed the John Cowles Professor of Governm ...

. While at Harvard, Riley won the Bowdoin Essay Prize for Graduate Students in 1966 and 1967. Riley’s first book, ''Will and Political Legitimacy'', offered "a critical exposition of social contract theory in Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, and Hegel." In ''Leibniz' Universal Jurisprudence: Justice as the Charity of the Wise'', Riley detailed the social, moral, and political philosophy of Leibniz, arguing for the English-speaking world that Leibniz was the most important German philosopher before

Kant Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aest ...

. He has also written extensively on the general will of

Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

and Kant's political philosophy. He was the author of ''The General Will before Rousseau: The Transformation of the Divine into the Civic'' and the editor of the ''Cambridge Companion to Rousseau.'' Riley edited a volume of Leibniz's political writings, as well as produced translations of Malebranche and Fénelon for Cambridge University Press.

Final years

After teaching at Harvard for several years, he moved to teach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he retired from in 2007 after 36 years of teaching. In October 2008, a General Will Symposium was held on campus to honor Riley's career, including numerous former colleagues and students from throughout his career, which was subsequently published by

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pr ...

a
''The General Will: The Evolution of a Concept''
edited by James Farr and David Lay Williams, and it features two of Riley's essays. In 2011, the ''Leibniz Review'' was dedicated to Riley's career and his numerous contributions to the journal over an extended period. The volume included David Lay Williams's tribute to Riley's interpretation of Leibniz as a philosopher of love, as well as an account of Riley's own commitment to charity as a way of life. In retirement, Riley taught courses at Harvard near his home in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Patrick T. American political scientists University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty 1941 births 2015 deaths Place of birth missing Harvard University alumni Claremont McKenna College alumni Alumni of the London School of Economics