<p>This masterpiece of eighteenth-century British satire sparked great social controversy by rejecting a positive view of human nature and arguing the necessity of vice as the foundation of an emerging capitalist economy.<br><br>For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700&nbsp;titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the&nbsp;series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date&nbsp;translations by award-winning translators.<br><br></p>