A Student's Guide to Political Philosophy (Isi Guides to the Major Disciplines)

Behind the daily headlines on presidential races and local elections is the theory of the polity 151 or what the end of our politics should be. Harvard s Harvey C. Mansfield, one of America s leading political theorists, explains why our quest for the good life must address the type of government we seek to uphold. He directs our gaze to the thinkers and philosophies and classic works that have proved most influential throughout the ages. Author: Harvey C. MansfieldPages: 58, PaperbackPublisher: Christendom PressISBN: 1-882926-43-9 The ISI Guides to the Major Disciplines are reader-friendly introductions to the most important fields of knowledge in the liberal arts. Written by leading scholars for both students and the general public, they will be appreciated by anyone desiring a reliable and informative tour of important subject matter. Each title offers an historical overview of a particular discipline, explains the central ideas of each subject, and evaluates the works of thinkers whose ideas have shaped our world. They will aid students seeking to make better decisions about their course of study as well as general readers who wish to supplement their education. All who treasure the world of ideas and liberal learning will be motivated by these original and stimulating Hidden within every political debatein legislatures, on radio talk shows, and even in coffee shopsis an implicit philosophy of the polity, or a particular understanding of the limits and possibilities of human life in community. Harvard University's Harvey C. Mansfield, one of America's preeminent political theorists, here provides a compelling account of the philosophers who have shaped our fundamental views of politics through the ages. In an era when "partisanship" is deplored, Mansfield shows that taking sides in disputes about the common good is a permanent part of politics; and it is the place to begin in the quest for wisdom concerning the human things. A primer on the bedrock principles of politics from “Harvard's most controversial conservative professor” and the author of Democracy in America (Boston magazine). Behind the daily headlines on presidential races and local elections is the theory of the polity—or what the end of our politics should be. Harvard's Harvey C. Mansfield, one of America's leading political theorists, explains why our quest for the good life must address the type of government we seek to uphold. He directs our gaze to the thinkers and philosophies and classic works that have proved most influential throughout the ages. The book is a brief chronological account of Western political thought interspersed with some of the author's thoughts. I was disappointed at first when I realized how short this book I had bought was because I was hoping for some meaty reading, but I realized that the main purpose of this book is to direct the reader to the actual texts. Mansfield gives a short list at the end of the book of the best translations.