A History of Political Thought

Bruce Haddock's lucid and original textbook combines historical and theoretical analysis, setting political thought in the context of the emerging institutional, cultural and economic framework of the modern world. From the colossal impact of the French and American revolutions, through reaction and constitutional consolidation, the book traces the contrasting criteria invoked to justify particular forms of political order from 1789 to the present day. Its chapters are organized around key themes such as liberty, welfare, the nation-state and totalitarianism, focusing on the response of theorists to fundamental ideological and political controversies. Major thinkers covered include Kant, Burke, Hegel, Tocqueville, Marx, Mill, Mazzini, Lenin, Schmitt, Hayek, Oakeshott and Rawls.

The book also confronts challenging questions about the status of moral and political principles. Cultural and moral controversy is characteristic of our everyday experience. In recent decades, however, the foundations of political and ethical theory have been widely questioned. Haddock highlights the emergence of a dilemma that faces all citizens: how we make judgements of value from embedded positions in social and cultural communities.

A History of Political Thought: 1789 to the Present will be of interest to students and scholars of politics, history and philosophy.

Acknowledgements.

1. Introduction.

2. Revolution.

3. Reaction.

4. The Constitutional State.

5. The Nation State.

6. Liberty.

7. Welfare.

8. Totalitarianism.

9. Politics Chastened.

10. Politics Fragmented.

Suggestions for Further Reading.

Notes.

Index.

In recent decades the foundation of political and ethical theory have been widely questioned. In A History of Political Thought, Haddock highlights the emergence of a dilemma that faces all citizens: how we make judgments of value from embedded positions in social and cultural communities. Lucid and original, the text will be of interest to students and scholars of politics, history and philosophy.

-- online review posted at www.sirreadalot.org

Bruce Haddock is Professor of Modern European Social and Political Thought at Cardiff University. Bruce Haddock's lucid and original textbook combines historical and theoretical analysis, setting political thought in the context of the emerging institutional, cultural and economic framework of the modern world. From the colossal impact of the French and American revolutions, through reaction and constitutional consolidation, the book traces the contrasting criteria invoked to justify particular forms of political order from 1789 to the present day. Its chapters are organized around key themes such as liberty, welfare, the nation-state and totalitarianism, focusing on the response of theorists to fundamental ideological and political controversies. Major thinkers covered include Kant, Burke, Hegel, Tocqueville, Marx, Mill, Mazzini, Lenin, Schmitt, Hayek, Oakeshott and Rawls.

The book also confronts challenging questions about the status of moral and political principles. Cultural and moral controversy is characteristic of our everyday experience. In recent decades, however, the foundations of political and ethical theory have been widely questioned. Haddock highlights the emergence of a dilemma that faces all citizens: how we make judgements of value from embedded positions in social and cultural communities.

A History of Political Thought: 1789 to the Present will be of interest to students and scholars of politics, history and philosophy.