On Civil Liberty and Self-government

Francis Lieber [1798-1872] was a prominent political philosopher who helped lay the foundation for the study of political science in the United States. Renowned for his theory of civil liberty, which combined an appreciation for the English concept of decentralized political institutions with the German idea of an overall national purpose, he bridged the intellectual gap between Europe and America. A Prussian scholar and political activist, Lieber was imprisoned twice for his liberal activities. He was one of the first university-trained scholars to immigrate to the United States. A scholar of wide interests, he published studies on economics, statistics, education and penal reform and produced and edited the Encyclopedia Americana, the first work of its kind published in the United States. He was professor of history and political economy at South Carolina College from 1836 to 1856 and professor of history and political science at Columbia College from 1856 to 1865. In 1860 he also became professor of political science at Columbia Law School, a post he held until the end of his life.