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Princeton Readings in Political Thought

Princeton Readings in Political Thought

Princeton Readings in Political Thought is one of the most engaging and up-to-date samplers of the standard works of Western political thinking from antiquity through modern times. Organized chronologically, from Thucydides to Foucault, the book brings together forty-four selections of enduring intellectual value–key articles, book excerpts, essays, and speeches–that have shaped our understanding of Western society and politics. Readers will find this work to be an invaluable reference, and they will enjoy not only the varied selections but also the lucid introductions to each historical era and the brief sketches of each thinker.

The book includes the writings of many of the most distinguished observers of the Western experience from classical times (Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero), the Middle Ages (St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Christine de Pizan), modern times (Machiavelli, Luther, Calvin, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Adam Smith, The Federalist Papers, “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen,” Burke, Marie-Olympes de Gouges, Mary Wollstonecraft, Bentham, Mill, de Tocqueville, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche), or the ideas of twentieth-century political philosophers and ideologists (Weber, Mosca, Michels, Lenin, Freud, Emma Goldman, Mussolini, Arendt, Orwell, de Beauvoir, Fanon, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Leo Strauss, Walzer, Rawls, Nozick, Habermas, and Foucault).

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Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful 5.0 out of 5 stars
Where the Great Political Philosophers Dwell, February 6, 2000 By  A Reader (Political Theory, USA) – See all my reviews
A very enjoyable book. I especially like the selections on Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Machiavelli. Such selections reflect a theoretical unity, rather than a distance, between the theorists’ works. Thus, rather than select excerpts unconnected to other excerpts, the editors attempt to develop chronological theme(s) around the works–when possible–that allow students to see progressions, pauses, and reliances, upon previous political writings. Because of this organized unity–which I think works–I could examine Hobbes’ ‘state of nature’ in light of Locke’s, and explore how Locke’s theory of man is at least an acknowledgment–if not an extension-of Hobbes’ work. Similarly, I could look to the authors of the Federalist papers and explore how such concepts of government were influenced, if only indirectly, by the writings of Hobbes and/or Locke.

In addition to offering a wide representation of the Modern era, the book nicely represents the Classical and Medieval periods, with useful selections from Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, and Augustine. Useful, too, are the selections from _The Prince_ and _Discourses_. Unlike some books which offer selections only from _Prince_, Princeton incorporates _Discourses_, which I think furthers and grounds a deeper understanding of _Prince_.
Thorough and extensive introductions, as well as bold headings within the excerpts, serve as introductions, of course, but also ways to direct the reader to interesting transitions
I would recommend this book for any Poly Theory course, especially one with a focus on classical and modern political thought.

 

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful 5.0 out of 5 stars
Stoking the Flames of a Poli Sci Interest, January 24, 2000 By A Customer

This book was a harmonious accompaniment to my first college Political Science course; its contents are an artfully selected collection of thought-provoking essays. I can truly say that this book and the course in which it was used were instrumental in my ultimate decision to pursue Political Science! I offer the highest reccomendations for students studying politics to read this text.

 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful 5.0 out of 5 stars
Wide ranging edited volume on the history of political thought, October 18, 2007 By  Steven Peterson (Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL)) – See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE) (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)
This is an excellent resource for teachers scheduled to instruct students in the history of political thought; it is a good resource for the students themselves; it is also useful to the general reader who might be interested in exploring the range of political thinking from classical Greek philosophers to more modern (and postmodern) political thinkers (such as Jurgen Habermas, John Rawls, Michel Foucault, and Michael Walzer). Indeed, I have used this as a supplementary textbook in an undergraduate political philosophy course that I once taught.

The volume begins with the Greek thinkers, such as Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle. For good measure, the Roman figure, Cicero, is included. Then, on to the Middle Ages, with exemplars such as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. Modern Political thought? Machiavelli to Hobbes to Locke to Nietzsche. Then, a section entitled “In Our Times,” including Weber, Mosca, Pareto, Orwell, Malcolm X, and those already mentioned earlier.

One subtheme is female political thinkers over time, from Christine de Pizan to Marie-Olympes de Gouges to Emma Goldman to Hannah Arendt.

This is a rich book that provides a sampling of a plentitude of political thinkers over the millennia. A wonderful resource.

 
Last modified on Friday, 23 September 2016 17:57

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