This chapter provides an overview of the three main objectives of the book. I trace the reception of Plutarch’s work in French and English political thought. This also offers an alternative to dominant narratives regarding the centrality of civic humanism, republicanism and constitutionalism as key idioms in the history of political thought. Through the lens of Plutarch I demonstrate the importance of a tradition of public humanism, focused on a consideration of the unique and complex ethos of public service.