Educated at Oxford University, Laski received his degree in 1914. During his years at Oxford, he formed friendships with many of the future leaders of the Labour Party. In 1916, through the influence of his friend, and future Supreme Court Justice, Felix Frankfurter, he obtained a teaching position at Harvard University where he remained for four years. During this time he published a number of works on political theory, including Studies in the Problems of Sovereignty (1917) and Authority in the Modern State (1919). In 1920, he was appointed professor in political science at the London School of Economics (LSE), a position he held until his death. His close ties to the Labour Party led to his appointment in 1939 to the National Executive. Over the years, Laski formed many lasting friendships with influential world figures, including Winston Churchill, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Franklin D. Roosevelt. His major works include Political Thought in England From Locke to Bentham (1920), Karl Marx (1921), Communism (1927), Democracy in Crisis (1933), The American Presidency (1940), Reflections on the Revolution of Our Time (1943), Faith, Reason and Civilization (1944) and The American Democracy (1948). |
