Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
English political pluralism is a challenging school of political thought, neglected in recent years but now enjoying a revival of interest. It is particularly relevant today because it offers a critique of centralized sovereign state power. The leading theorists of the pluralist state were G.D.H. Cole, J.N. Figgis and H.J. Laski, and this volume brings together their most important ideas, making accessible a crucial body of work on radical political theory. It includes their major writings, mostly out of print and difficult to obtain, and here gathered together in an anthology for the first time. Current in the first two decades of this century, English political pluralism offered a convincing critique of state sovereignty and proposed a decentralized and federated form of authority - pluralism - in which the affairs of society would be conducted by self-governing and independent associations. Paul Hirst's comprehensive introduction situates English political pluralism historically and gives a critical account of its main theoretical themes and the debate surrounding them. The book will be of interest to those who see radical reform as vital for the future health of democracy, to students of political theory and the history of political thought and also to students of jurisprudence and legal theory interested in the pluralist debate as it affects the concept of legal sovereignty.
Synopsis
First published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Synopsis
This timely and useful book selects the key writings on pluralism of G.D.H. Cole, J.N. Figgis and H.J. Laski. The editor provides a crisp and informative introduction which situates the texts in the appropriate intellectual and political contexts and explains why we should be interested in them today.
Synopsis
Paul Hirst makes accessible a neglected but important body of work on radical political theory. His introduction sets the pluralists in their historical context and offers an account of the debate surrounding their work.