Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Preface xi
4. Primary Source Citations xv
5. 1. Political Philosophy and the Genre of Lives 1
6. 2. The Need for a New Exemplary Life 48
7. 3. The Awakening of the Imagination and the Departure from Nature (Book I) 76
8. 4. The Alternatives for Civilized Life (Books II-VI) 116
9. 5. The Rediscovery of Nature (Books VII and VIII) 164
10. 6. The Return to Nature? (Books IX-XII) 198
11. 7. The Success of the Confessions 239
12. Bibliography 253
13. Index 257