About Book

East investigates how John Toland, a formative English Enlightenment thinker, strategically edited Cicero’s texts to advance radical republican and deist ideas, thereby reshaping early modern political discourse. She traces Toland’s use of Ciceronian rhetoric and translations to challenge monarchical authority and promote emergent notions of individual liberty and reason. The book situates these editorial choices within broader networks of intellectual exchange across Europe, revealing how Toland’s adaptations contributed to the radicalization of classical texts for modern political . In an age where texts are repurposed for political agendas, East’s study offers a vital historical parallel, illuminating how editorial interventions can reshape public values. For community engagement, workshops on critical textual literacy can draw on Toland’s methods to help citizens analyze how modern media and political organizations may similarly edit or present information to influence beliefs. The Radicalization of Cicero is a groundbreaking contribution to Enlightenment and editorial studies, demonstrating that the manipulation of classical texts can serve as a potent vector for political radicalization. Its rigorous archival research and theoretical insight mark it as indispensable for scholars of intellectual history.