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David’s 2025 Year in Books

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David Lay Williams

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https://las.depaul.edu/academics/political-scie...

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Philosophy, History

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October 2023

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Professor Williams teaches and conducts research in political theory, especially the history of political thought. He received his PhD in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior coming to DePaul in 2011, he was Professor of Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point.

Williams is the author of Rousseau's Platonic Enlightenment (2007), Rousseau's 'Social Contract': An Introduction (2014) and The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx (2024). as well as numerous articles on thinkers ranging from Plato to Jürgen Habermas and topics such as democratic theory, economic inequality, political ontology, and deception. He has also co-edited seve ...more

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David Lay Williams’s books

Average rating: 4.31 · 49 ratings · 11 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx 4.32 avg rating — 34 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rousseau's Social Contract: An Introduction really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2013 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In Fiction We Trust by Cătălin Partenie (coord.), Alfred Bulai (coord.), Vladimir Mirodan 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2016	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rousseau's Platonic Enlightenment it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2007 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Cambridge Companion to Rousseau's Social Contract by David Lay Williams (Goodreads Author) (editor), Matthew W. Maguire (Editor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rousseau's Platonic Enlightenment Paperback - October 1, 2008 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Cambridge Companion to Rousseau's Social Contract by David Lay Williams (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Matthew W. Maguire (Editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	[Rousseau's Platonic Enlightenment] [By: Williams, David Lay] [October, 2007] by David Lay Williams (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Fundamental Political Writings by David Lay Williams (Goodreads Author) (Co Editor), Matthew W. Maguire (Co Editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Mr. Texas

by Lawrence Wright (Goodreads Author)

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Jan 17, 2025 08:17AM

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David Williams and 1 other person liked Marcel Grdinic's review of The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx: "David Lay Williams' The Greatest of All Plagues is a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of economic inequality as written by key figures of the Western philosophical tradition. Williams weaves together the insights of seven great thinkers—P" Read more of this review »
Jul 05, 2025 06:23AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Greatest of All Plagues by David Lay Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Greatest of All Plagues by David Lay Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Williams and 7 other people liked Benjamin Burgis's review of The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx: "Very good book! I have many thoughts and I won't get into them here since I'm supposed to review it for Compact. My review is horrendously overdue but, whatever else I do or don't have going for me in this life, I do write very quickly, so expect to " Read more of this review »
Jul 05, 2025 06:22AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Greatest of All Plagues by David Lay Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Greatest of All Plagues by David Lay Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Williams has read The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx by David Lay Williams (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 03, 2025 11:01AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Greatest of All Plagues by David Lay Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Greatest of All Plagues by David Lay Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Williams is now following Michael Locke McLendon Author of The Psychology of Inequality: Rousseau's "Amour...
Jan 20, 2025 12:50PM · like
David Williams is now following Paul R. DeHart Author of The Social Contract in the Ruins: Natural Law a...
Jan 20, 2025 12:49PM · like
David Williams rated a book it was amazing The Social Contract in the Ruins: Natural Law and Government by Consent by Paul R. DeHart	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 20, 2025 12:38PM · like
David Williams has read The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 17, 2025 08:17AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Williams is currently reading Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 17, 2025 08:17AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Williams has read Purity by Jonathan Franzen	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 17, 2025 08:16AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Purity by Jonathan Franzen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Purity by Jonathan Franzen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Williams rated a book it was amazing The Psychology of Inequality: Rousseau's "Amour-Propre" (Haney Foundation Series) by Michael Locke McLendon	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 16, 2025 08:43AM · like