Encyclopedia of Political Theory - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1412958652 ISBN 13: 9781412958653

Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc, 2010

Synopsis

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How do we arrange our collective affairs? Why do we live together in the ways we do? How ought we to live together? All humans think about the world they live in, its history and future, and the ideals by which they want to live in relation to others. How we think today decisively influences the world of tomorrow. This encyclopedia attempts to bring greater clarity and understanding to political debate.

 

Drawing together a team of international scholars, the Encyclopedia of Political Theory examines the ideas of the major political theorists from before Plato to our own times; the main schools of political thought; the concepts and issues that have captured the imagination and attention of political theorists; and some of the main institutions and practices inspired by political thought. With more than 450 entries, these three volumes provide a quick, one-stop source to key topics in the field.

 

Key Features

• Examines the global landscape of all the key theories and the theorists behind them
• Includes specific lists of entries that deal with constitutional thought and democratic thought
• Refers to distinctive norms and features of various governments, legal systems, and societies
• Devotes large parts to the history of ideas about government, ethics, and society
• Provides a chronology of political theory to help readers see how a given theorist, school, or issue fits into the bigger historical picture

 

Key Themes

• Ancient Thought
• Applied Ethics
• Biographies
• Comparative Theory
• Constitutional Thought
• Critical Theory
• Democratic Thought
• Early Modern Thought
• International Theory
• Justice
• Liberal Theory
• Medieval Thought
• Modern Theory
• Power and Authority
• Religious Thought
• Self and Community

 

This work is designed to serve as a reference source for anyone interested in the roots of contemporary political theory. It will be a welcome addition to any academic or public library.

About this title

About the Author:

Professor Mark Bevir is a member of the Department of Political Science at University of California, Berkeley. He was born in London and educated at the University of Exeter, U.K., where he got a BA (1st Class), and the University of Oxford, UK where he was awarded a DPhil. Before moving to Berkeley, he worked at the University of Madras, India, and University of Newcastle, UK. He has held visiting positions in Australia, Finland, France, U.K., and the U.S. Currently he is co-convener of the Interpretive Political Science specialist group of the Political Studies Association and President of the Society for the Philosophy of History.

From Booklist:

The editor of this work defines political theory as “an academic discipline that includes the rigorous study of the history of our political ideas and the practices they have inspired and the rigorous study of future possibilities and the ideals that should guide our actions.” The encyclopedia can itself be categorized as “rigorous,” as it addresses complex topics at an advanced level that will likely challenge many readers. Coverage of the field is broad and deep, with 475 signed entries written by more than 350 academics from institutions worldwide. A “Reader’s Guide” organizes the alphabetical entries into 17 themes dealing with the history of political thought, theoretical perspectives in political theory, important theorists, central concepts in the field, and major political theories (including comparative, critical, empirical, liberal, and modern theory). International theory (Human rights, Just war theory), religious thought (Biblical prophets, Fundamentalism, Utopianism), and applied ethics (Abortion, Animal ethics, Hate speech) are covered as well. Ethical issues are discussed through the lens of a variety of theoretical perspectives. Entries range from less than a page in length (Essentialism, Subaltern) to eight-plus pages (Confucianism, Libertarianism) and include cross-references to related essays as well as suggestions for further reading that vary in length from 2 items to almost 40. The work contains two appendixes: a “Chronology of Political Theory,” which begins with Sparta’s rise to prominence in 650 BCE and ends with the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001; and a short list of Web resources. A comprehensive index completes the set. The one-volume Encyclopedia of Political Thought (Facts On File, 2001) may continue to serve the needs of school and public libraries when only brief descriptions of political ideas are needed. Though nearly two decades old, the Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought (1991) is an alternative source for a scholarly audience. It combines survey articles with shorter definitions and has particularly strong coverage of theorists. The Encyclopedia of Political Theory is recommended for academic libraries and large public libraries. --Jan Lewis

About this edition

• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1412958652
• ISBN 13: 9781412958653
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1584
• Editor: Bevir Mark