Rulers and Ruled: An Introduction to Classical Political Theory from Plato to the Federalists - Softcover

Zeitlin, Irving M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 080207877X ISBN 13: 9780802078773

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 1996

Synopsis

This book illuminates several timeless principles of political philosophy that have come down to us through the ages in the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and the authors of the Federalist Papers, Madison, Hamilton, and Jay. Among these principles are the following: that a good society is based on law; that a good constitution balances social classes against each other; that a mixed constitution is best for this purpose; that popular sovereignty is the best foundation for a just and stable constitution; and that representative government is best for a large, complex society.

In this valuable and accessibly written guide to the fundamentals of political thought, Irving Zeitlin shows that certain thinkers have given us insights that rise above historical context - 'trans-historical principles' that can provide the political scientist with an element of foresight, an ability not to predict events but to anticipate a certain range of possibilities. While the historian studies unique and unrepeatable circumstances such as those, for example, that gave rise to Julius Caesar, the political theorist, using these trans-historical principles, recognizes the conditions that can lead to Caesarism.

Zeitlin draws on an unusual depth of knowledge, offering a lucid, interesting, and memorable summation of his chosen classic texts, in a work that will appeal strongly to his intended audience at the undergraduate level.

About this title

About the Author

Irving M. Zeitlin is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto.

From the Back Cover

'A very useful guide for the beginner in political theory, or for someone who just wants a refresher course in the Great Ideas. Zeitlin ... offers an accessible account of the principals of political theory ... and its major practitioners, such as the Greeks, Machiavelli, Locke, Rousseau and the authors of the Federalist Papers.'

'This brisk and vigorous set of encounters with some of the giants in the history of political philosophy exhibits Professor Zeitlin's characteristic scholarly virtues: passionate concern for justice, and therefore an instinct for the real issues, controlled by a generous openness to the texts, and a capacious historical sense. The result is a refreshingly unpedantic, and richly thought-provoking, new perspective on abiding questions and alternatives.'

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 080207877X
• ISBN 13: 9780802078773
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 206