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The book discusses how the most severe abuses of political power, traditionally termed from the ancient times as ‘tyranny', were presented in 16th century political philosophy, propaganda, and literature in Italy, France, England, Scotland, German countries, and Poland-Lithuania. Using a unique interdisciplinary methodology, the book is both timeless and timely as it demonstrates various approaches of acknowledged Renaissance intellectuals to the problem of tyranny and how best to avoid or fight it. The author consciously avoids categories of the classic history of ideas or political thought and instead reveals broader intellectual and cultural connections in the perception of tyranny in the 16th century and its impact on modern debates on different dangers of political abuses of power.

Die Studie betrachtet Boten als Medien im Rahmen zentraler Dimensionen der frühmittelalterlichen Kommunikationspraxis. Auf der Grundlage interdisziplinärer Forschungen werden Boten auf breiter Textbasis als körperliche Träger und Vermittler von Kommunikation und Wahrnehmung sowie als Informanten und Zeugen analysiert. Das Buch enthält einen begriffshistorischen Teil, widmet sich der Auswahl von Boten und deren räumlichen Aktionsradien und behandelt agonale Aspekte des Botenwesens. So werden Boten in kulturwissenschaftlich geprägten Themenkreisen verortet, darunter ‹Mündlichkeit und Schriftlichkeit›, ‹Öffentlichkeit› und ‹symbolische Kommunikation› sowie ‹Wissens- und Informationstransfer›. Ein weiterer Fokus liegt auf der Praxis der Mobilität, etwa dem Transport, Reisegeschwindigkeiten, aber auch auf Fragen des Geleits, der Gastlichkeit und Empfänge vor Ort.

700 years of people in Scotland, England, Europe, and the world fighting for freedom, sovereignty, independence and justice are investigated in the essential periods and cultures since the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath: the Middle Ages, the Reformation and Early Modern Age, the English Revolution, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Cultural, media, political, and social studies, history, the law, art, philosophy, and literature are used for an analysis of the evolution of human rights, democracy, freedom, individual as well as national independence and justice in connection with past and present threats to them. Threats from politics, the economy, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, people's ignorance. With contributions by Alasdair Allan MSP, Christopher J. Berry, Neil Blain, Alexander Broadie FRSE, Dauvit Broun, Mark P. Bruce, Ewen A. Cameron, Robert Crawford, Ian Duncan, Richard J. Finlay, David Forrest, Edouard Gaudot, Marjory Harper, Sarah Longlands, Ben McConville, David McCrone, Aileen McHarg, John Morrison, Klaus Peter Müller, Hugh O'Donnell, Murray Pittock, Anthony Salamone, David R. Sorensen, Silke Stroh, Christopher A. Whatley and Ben Wray.

European culture is rich with diversity and character, developing, maturing, and emerging throughout the course of history. The authors of the book examine the complex nature and multifaceted culture of Europe, developed throughout time, through the lens of philosophy and theology. The authors cover the period from the Persians to the European Union and notice that clashes occurred and reoccurred throughout European history, which had an impact on Europe's identity. Greece clashed against Persia. Islam clashed with Christianity. Christianity clashed within itself during the protestant reformation. The European Union now clashes with Christianity.