1 9 6 1 ▁by ▁The ▁Vik ing ▁Press ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁by ▁Fab er ▁and ▁Fab er ▁in ▁Great ▁Britain . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁edition ▁consisted ▁of ▁six ▁ess ays , ▁and ▁two ▁more ▁were ▁added ▁to ▁a ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁revision . ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁various ▁ess ays ▁written ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁The ▁final ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁includes ▁ess ays ▁dealing ▁with ▁different ▁philosoph ical ▁subjects ▁including ▁freedom , ▁education , ▁authority , ▁tradition , ▁history ▁and ▁politics . ▁The ▁sub title ▁of ▁the ▁final ▁version ▁is ▁E ight ▁Ex er cis es ▁in ▁Political ▁Th ought . ▁ ▁Str ucture ▁and ▁content ▁▁ ▁The ▁book ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁pre face ▁and ▁eight ▁ess ays : ▁" Tr ad ition ▁and ▁the ▁Modern ▁Age ", ▁" The ▁Con cept ▁of ▁History : ▁An cient ▁and ▁Modern ", ▁" What ▁Is ▁Author ity ? ", ▁" What ▁Is ▁Fre edom ? ", ▁" The ▁Cris is ▁in ▁Education " ▁and ▁" The ▁Cris is ▁in ▁Culture : ▁Its ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁influence "," Tr uth ▁and ▁Polit ics " ▁and ▁" The ▁Con quest ▁of ▁Space ▁and ▁the ▁St ature ▁of ▁Man ". ▁▁ ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁ess ays ▁share ▁a ▁central ▁idea . ▁Hum ans ▁are ▁living ▁between ▁the ▁past ▁and ▁the ▁uncertain ▁future . ▁ ▁They ▁must ▁perman ently ▁think ▁to ▁exist , ▁and ▁each ▁man ▁is ▁required ▁to ▁learn ▁thinking .