Eric Voegelin (1901-1985) was one of the most original and influential philosophers of our time. Born in Cologne, Germany, he studied at the University of Vienna, where he became a professor of political science in the Faculty of Law. In 1938, he and his wife, fleeing Hitler, emigrated to the United States. They became American citizens in 1944. Voegelin spent much of his career at Louisiana State University, the University of Munich, and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. During his lifetime he published many books and more than one hundred articles. "The Collected Works of Eric Voegelin" will make available in a uniform edition all of Voegelin's major writings. Barry Cooper is Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including "The Collected Works of Eric Voegelin, " Volume 1, "On the Form of the American Mind."