Romantic Political Thought

The political tradition that emphasizes feeling, authenticity, community, and the natural goodness of human beings against what its proponents saw as the cold rationalism and atomism of Enlightenment liberalism. Rousseau is one of the founding figures, and almost everything later romantic and communitarian thinkers said about authenticity and community can be traced back to him. Romantic political thought shaped 19th century nationalism, certain strands of socialism, and continues to influence contemporary communitarian and identity-based political movements.