> prior to the 19th century, Western scholars commonly understood that philosophical writing is not at home in any polity, no matter how liberal.. In questioning established opinions.. pre-modern philosophers found it necessary to convey their messages obliquely. Their "art of writing" was the art of esoteric communication. This is all the more apparent in medieval times, when heterodox political thinkers wrote under the threat of the Inquisition or comparably strict tribunals.
> prior to the 19th century, Western scholars commonly understood that philosophical writing is not at home in any polity, no matter how liberal.. In questioning established opinions.. pre-modern philosophers found it necessary to convey their messages obliquely. Their "art of writing" was the art of esoteric communication. This is all the more apparent in medieval times, when heterodox political thinkers wrote under the threat of the Inquisition or comparably strict tribunals.