Be the first to ask a question about Political Philosophy. Ethics: A Very Short Introduction Simon Blackburn Very Short Introductions. In Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction (2003) Young links this genealogy of postcolonialism to the contemporary activism of the New Social Movements in non-Western countries. It definitely lays out some views of political philosophy, but sometimes I thought the author leaned one way and at other times he seemed to lean the other way. Curious about the major works and figures in the study of the nature of reality and existence? It is arranged by topic (state of nature, justifying the state, liberty, justice, etc.) Verified Purchase. He employs an Italian fresco painted by Lorenzetti in the 14th century as a heuristic to help illustrate the essential elements of political philosophy. RUNNING HEAD: Political Philosophy SUMMARY: CHAPTER 1 Political Philosophy: Introducing the Challenge This summary is based on Donald G. Tannenbaum’s book, Inventor of Ideas: An Introduction to Western Political Philosophy, Third Edition. (1878) Death … social contract, Before you think about getting your hands on this (don’t) - I highly recommend read the other 2 star reviews. This is a bad book for readers new to the subject, because it fails to do a good survey of the discipline and a horrible book for political philosophers, since the author briefly misrepresents a whole system of thought and quickly dismisses without much explanation before moving on to the next. For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us. Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects -- from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, and Literary Theory to History. I don't like sports, so I need something to think about!). A solid overview, though it seems like an impossible project: we go to these books to get a basic understanding of a broad topic but they often just leave us more confused. 2. One day I forgot to take Cortázar's Hopscotch with me to work; thankfully, I always have a backup book in my bag. Also, I could have used less of the author's opinions (I wanted a basic text on the political philosophies without commentary). What i hope for would be headings under each chapters to make points easier to understand. If you are someone who reads the news or listens to political commentary every day, you already know pretty much everything in the book. Which brings me to another point. Access to the complete content on Very Short Introductions online requires a subscription or purchase. Responsibility and Justice in Situations of Partial Compliance" in Responsibility and Distributive Justice (2011) on Oxford Scholarship Online, "Nationalism" in The Oxford Handbook of Political Theory (2008) on Oxford Handbooks Online. It was fun to make notes while reading. 4. In A Very Short Introduction to Politics, Kenneth Minogue begins with a discussion of issues arising from a historical account of politics, and goes on to offer chapters dealing with the Ancient Greeks and the idea of citizenship; Roman law; medieval Christianity and individualism; freedom since Machiavelli and Hobbes; the challenge of ideologies; democracy, oligarchy, and bureaucracy; power and order in modern society; and politics … An example that comes to mind is how he deals with anarchism in the chapter on 'authority' and how statism is nowadays taken for granted (including why Miller believes this is a good thing). I think this book is only good for someone who is completely unfamiliar with the political philosophy and thus does not mind an one-sided description of th. On completion of hisdoctorate in 1841 Marx hoped for an academic job, but he had alreadyfallen in with too radical a group of thinkers and the… Though, important to condense such a large topic, there were a lot of word choices and descriptions that belittled the fields of social psychology and psychology and frequently conflated the two without having a solid and contemporary understanding of the two areas. Phenomenology is commonly understood in either of two ways: as adisciplinary field in philosophy, or as a movement in the history ofphilosophy.The discipline of phenomenology may be defined initially as thestudy of structures of experience, or consciousness. Keywords: I don't like sports, so I need something to think about!). Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Miller does a very good job at introducing the 'bread-and-butter' of political philosophy in this concise and well-written book. Moving from government by divinity to government by the people by way of the Renaissance, he examines views about anarchism, liberty, social justice via thinkers such as Hobbes, Rousseau and Marx and of course the ancients such as Plato and Socrates. It compares the obstacles facing them, and the processes that shape their lives, their families, and their futures. But that may be asking for too much. (1872) Born May 18 at Ravenscroft in Trelleck, Monmouthshire,UK. A short chronology of the major events in Russell’s life is asfollows: 1. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes Karl Marx (1818–1883) Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays. Can be used as a good supplement/reading material to get students interested in those arguments. author I decided to read this book a few weeks ahead of an event on political philosophy, which is not my expertise but neither something I am unfamiliar with. It is distressing. ‘Why do we need political philosophy?’ examines the three ideas that stand at its very heart: that good and bad government profoundly affect the quality of human lives; that the form our government takes is not predetermined: we have a choice to make; and that we can know what distinguishes good government from bad: we can trace the effects of different forms of government, … by Oxford University Press, Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions). John Locke, Lecture 24 - In Defense of Politics Overview. Is globalization really a new phenomenon? All rights reserved. Please subscribe or login to access full text content. Also, while Miller does attempt to bring up alternative theories, he rarely explains their rationale in details and is very quick to dismiss them. Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction introduces the concepts of political philosophy — authority, democracy, freedom and its limits, justice, feminism, multiculturalism, and nationality. Introduction to many basic concepts in political philosophy, and providing short analysis of different arguments by different philosophers. Presenting globalization in accessible language as a multifaceted process encompassing global, regional, and local aspects of social life, this VSI looks at its causes and effects, examines whether it is a new phenomenon, and explores the question of whether, ultimately, globalization … A precocious schoolchild, Marx studied lawin Bonn and Berlin, and then wrote a PhD thesis in Philosophy,comparing the views of Democritus and Epicurus. but I think the book did a great job of presenting an introduction to PP. Intended as an introduction to postcolonialism for the general reader, the book is written in a highly accessible style and unorthodox format, mixing history with fiction, cultural analysis with moments of poetic intensity that … Language not the simplest, but enough to understand and not feel this is beginners' level. In this case it was David Miller's VSI to. This book is an excellent introduction to political philosophy. It’s the kind of book you could read in an evening, but at the same time you’d really have a flavour of what philosophy is. The name of Edmund Burke (1730–97) [1] is not one that often figures in the history of philosophy . (1876) Death of father; Russell’s grandfather, Lord JohnRussell (the former Prime Minister), and grandmother succeed inoverturning Russell’s father’s will to win custody ofRussell and his brother, rather than have them raised asfree-thinkers. Overall, not much that I didn't already k. A short and interesting book about the philosophical basis of politics, a subject that consumes a great deal of my thinking (hey, give me a break! This book was for a course in school, wouldn't reccommend. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We are not makers of history. Short, engrossing & highly appealing. The best of these VSI books feel like taking a university module in the subject and this is up there with the best that I have read - offering a very clear and concise introduction to some difficult concepts. It asks such questions as: Is it really true that what governments do profoundly affects the quality of our lives? Very Short Introductions (VSI) is a book series published by the Oxford University Press … democracy, Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription. civil Disobedience, It looks at the reasons why we need politics at all, the limitations of politics, and whether there are areas of life that shouldn't be governed by politics. First of all, it’s very, very short. In turn it influenced the later independence and civil rights movements , especially those led by Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela . The political philosophy most closely associated with modern India is the one of ahimsa (non-violence) and Satyagraha, popularised by Mahatma Gandhi during the Indian struggle for independence. Born in 1926 in France, over the course of his life he dabbled in drugs, politics, and the Paris SM scene, all whilst striving to understand the deep concepts of identity, knowledge, and power. “We need political authority, then, because it gives us the security that allows us to trust other people, and in a climate of trust people are able to cooperate to produce all those benefits that Hobbes listed as signally lacking in the ‘natural condition’.”, “his real point is that in the climate of fear that would follow the breakdown of authority, the kinder, more trusting, side of human nature would be obliterated. The introduction has a memorable summary of the goals of political philosophy and defense of the discipline. Didn't hold my interest and didn't seam to have a purpose but then I'm a thriller reader and practical man. David Miller, Professor of Political Theory at Oxford provides us with a concise summary of the main strands of political philosophy, chronologiaccly starting with a painting by Lorenzetti illustrating "The Allegory of Good and Bad Government". Everyone would benefit from reading these books to broaden their knowledge and understanding in diverse areas of life. Very clear introduction to political philosophy, and the author makes very valid points. We are made by history.” So, this January, as we celebrate Martin Luther King... To see what your friends thought of this book, Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction, Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions #97), David Miller.