Introduction to Political Theory

Introduction to Political Theory is a text for the 21st century. It shows students why an understanding of theory is crucial to an understanding of issues and events in a rapidly shifting global political landscape. Bringing together classic and contemporary political concepts and ideologies into one book, this new text introduces the major approaches to political issues that have shaped the modern world, and the ideas that form the currency of political debate.

Introduction to Political Theory relates political ideas to political realities through effective use of examples and case studies making theory lively, contentious and relevant.

This updated third edition comes with significant revisions which reflect the latest questions facing political theory, such as the French burqa controversy, ethnic nationalism and the value of research from sociobiology. Accompanying these debates is a wealth of new and thought-provoking case studies for discussion, including (consensual) sadomasochism, affirmative action and same-sex marriage. A new chapter on difference has also been added to complement those on feminism and multiculturalism.

The revised glossary, revamped website for further reading and new streamlined layout make Introduction to Political Theory third edition the perfect accompaniment to undergraduate study.

John Hoffman has taught in the Department of Politics, University of Leicester since 1970. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Political Theory, having retired at the end of September 2005. He has written widely on Marxism, feminism and Political Theory, with his most recent book being Citizenship beyond the State, published by Sage in 2004. He is currently working on John Gray and the problem of utopia.

Paul Graham is Senior Lecturer in Politics and Director of Programmes at Buckingham University. He has written on German and Anglo-American Political thought, with published work on John Rawls (Rawls, Oneworld Publishers, 2007) and Karl Heinz Bohrer. He also has a developing interest in sociobiological (Darwinian) approaches to politics.