
The Commonwealth of Oceana
- First published
- 1656
- Reading level
- Fairly demanding
- Price
- Free
About the book
"The Commonwealth of Oceana" by James Harrington is a work of political philosophy published in 1656. Initially censored by Oliver Cromwell, this allegorical vision reimagines England as the utopian republic of Oceana. Harrington presents revolutionary ideas including land ownership limits, property distribution reforms, and term limits for politicians. The work depicts Cromwell himself as the lawgiver Olphaeus Megalator, offering a detailed blueprint for an ideal constitution that challenges traditional power structures and proposes rotation by ballot to prevent concentrated authority.
- Utopias
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #2801. The Commonwealth of Oceana on Wikipedia.