Synopses & Reviews
The extent and nature of rights; the sources of state power; the promises and pitfalls of democracy; how to achieve a just distribution of social goods; the claims of culture and gender on our identity: these are just some of the issues to have been addressed by political philosophers throughout history.
Politics: Key Concepts in Philosophy offers a thorough and stimulating account of political philosophy. The text is structured thematically in order to convey the vibrancy of debates within the discipline. Through these debates the text addresses the ideas of major thinkers -including Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Foucault, Rawls, Kymlicka, Okin and Butler - and it begins and ends with discussions about the nature of political philosophy itself. This is an invaluable aid to study, one that goes beyond simple definitions and summaries; readers new to this discipline will encounter a lively text full of clear signposts for the journey into political philosophy.
Synopsis
The extent and nature of rights; the sources of state power; the promises and pitfalls of democracy; how to achieve a just distribution of social goods; the claims of culture and gender on our identity: these are just some of the issues to have been addressed by political philosophers throughout history.
Politics: Key Concepts in Philosophy offers a thorough and stimulating account of political philosophy. The text is structured thematically in order to convey the vibrancy of debates within the discipline. Through these debates the text addresses the ideas of major thinkers -including Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Foucault, Rawls, Kymlicka, Okin and Butler - and it begins and ends with discussions about the nature of political philosophy itself. This is an invaluable aid to study, one that goes beyond simple definitions and summaries; readers new to this discipline will encounter a lively text full of clear signposts for the journey into political philosophy.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 1. Introduction What is politics? Government, governance and governmentalisation Norms and varieties of political philosophy The political and politicisation 2. Authority and Liberty Absolute authority Limits to authority Individual liberty Liberty and the general will 3. The State and Power The capitalist state The patriarchal state Three dimensions of power Power and normalisation 4.Social Justice and Equality The good life Value-pluralism Justice as fairness Justice as entitlement Care and justice The return of the good 5. Democracy and Political Order Democracy and disorder The value of political participation The difficult birth of liberal democracy From representative to deliberative democracyAgonism and political order 6. Culture and Critique Background to the culture debates Cultural membership as a primary good Minority cultures and the rights of women Women, culture and identity The fusion of horizons Intersubjectivity and the politics of recognition 7. Conclusion: Identity, Difference and Political Philosophy French feminist critiques of identity The trouble with gender The challenge of difference Difference in political philosophy Difference and political philosophy BibliographyIndex