An Introduction to Political Thought, second edition: An Introduction to Political Thought: A Conceptual Toolkit

353 Pages·2012·0.98 MB·English

NB: please make the strapline ëYour conceptual toolkit . . .í 2 points larger, and in bold; A An Introduction to
please put the ëtopics coveredí and ëthinkers coveredí into 3 columns with bullet points n
(as seen below) and box the two sections ëTopicsí and ëThinkersí with a one-point rule
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all round. n
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r Political Thought
‘Bears all the hallmarks of a textbook that has been tested, honed and refined in the o
classroom for some considerable time . . . There is, in short, a real need for this book.’ d
Iain Mackenzie, University of Kent u
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t A Conceptual Toolkit
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Your conceptual toolkit for the study of political thought n
This textbook, now in its second edition, gives you vocabulary you need – political, con- to SECOND EDITION
ceptual and historical – to engage confidently and deeply with political thought and the
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moral and political worlds in which we live. It traces the progress of political thought
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from Plato and Aristotle to Benhabib and Rorty, following a unique dual structure that l
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introduces key thinkers and core concepts. ti
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The second edition features a brand new chapter on international political thought and a
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global justice, reflecting one of the most striking developments in contemporary political
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theory. h
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Topics covered:
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• universal moral order • utilitarianism, • feminism g
• liberty • distributive justice • postmodernism h
• political freedom • liberalism • global justice t
• the state • multiculturalism • international political theory
• socialism • conservatism
Thinkers covered:
• Plato • Rawls • Burke P
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• Aristotle • Nozick • Oakeshott r
• Hobbes • Walzer • Benhabib I r
• Locke • Kymlicka • Phillips O
• Rousseau • Parekh • Modood b
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• Marx • Pogge • Rorty r
• Bentham • Hume T
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Peri Roberts is a Senior Lecturer in the School of European Studies at Cardiff University. a
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He is co-editor, with Bruce Haddock and Peter Sutch, of Evil in Contemporary Political d
Theory (Edinburgh University Press, 2011). P
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Peter Sutch is a Senior Lecturer in the School of European Studies at Cardiff University. E
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He is co-author, with J. Elias, of International Relations: The Basics (2007).
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Cover design: River Design
Cover image: The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel
© Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien oder KHM, Wien
Edinburgh University Press
22 George Square
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Edinburgh EH8 9LF d PErI rObErTS PETEr SuTCh
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www.euppublishing.com n
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ISBN 978 0 7486 4398 1
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28550 eup roberts + such.indd 1 15/11/11 10:40:47
An Intro to Political Thought.qxp:An Intro to Political Thought.qxp 1/2/12 10:51 Page i
An Introduction
to
Political Thought
An Intro to Political Thought.qxp:An Intro to Political Thought.qxp 1/2/12 10:51 Page ii
An Intro to Political Thought.qxp:An Intro to Political Thought.qxp 1/2/12 10:51 Page iii
An Introduction
to
Political Thought
A Conceptual Toolkit
SECOND EDITION
Peri Roberts and Peter Sutch
An Intro to Political Thought.qxp:An Intro to Political Thought.qxp 1/2/12 10:51 Page iv
© Peri Roberts and Peter Sutch, 2004, 2012
Edinburgh University Press Ltd
22 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LF
First published in 2004 by Edinburgh University Press
Second edition 2012
Design by Pioneer Associates, Perthshire
Typeset in Sabon and Gill Sans by
Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire, and
printed and bound in Great Britain by
CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 0 7486 4399 8 (hardback)
ISBN 978 0 7486 4398 1 (paperback)
ISBN 978 0 7486 4400 1 (webready PDF)
ISBN 978 0 7486 6482 5 (epub)
ISBN 978 0 7486 6481 8 (Amazon ebook)
The right of Peri Roberts and Peter Sutch to be identified as authors of
this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988.
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Contents
Acknowledgements vii
HISTORICAL CONCEPTUAL
Introduction: Introduction:
The Nature of Political Conceptual Tools for
Thought Everyday Living 1
Section I: Classical Origins of Political Thought
HISTORICAL CONCEPTUAL
1 Plato 1 Is There a Universal
Moral Order? 23
2 Aristotle 2 Is Politics Natural? 46
Section II: Modern Developments in Political Thought
HISTORICAL CONCEPTUAL
3 Hobbes, Locke and 3 Liberty and Human Nature:
Rousseau What is Freedom? 69
4 Hobbes, Locke and 4 The Social Contract and the
Rousseau II Artificiality of the State 103
5 Owen and Marx 5 Socialism and the
Artificiality of Man 125
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Contents
Section III: Contemporary Understandings of
Political Thought
HISTORICAL CONCEPTUAL
6 Bentham, Utilitarianism 6 How Do We Take People
and Rights Seriously? 153
7 Rawls, Cohen, Nozick 7 Distributive Justice
and Walzer 181
8 Rawls II, Kymlicka and 8 Liberalism and the
Parekh Challenge of
Multiculturalism 209
Section IV: Challenges to Universalism and
Foundationalism
HISTORICAL CONCEPTUAL
9 The Internationalisation 9 Universal Principles in a
of Political Thought Society of States 241
10 Burke and Oakeshott 10 Conservatism:
Reason vs Tradition 273
11 Feminism and 11 What’s Wrong with
Antifoundationalism Universal Justice? 299
Afterword Current Engagements in
Political Thought 327
Index 331
vi
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Acknowledgements
Peri Roberts: This has been a difficult and interesting project. My
thanks go to Kai, Rowan and Beck and to Mum and Dad.
Peter Sutch: This book could not have been written without the
patience and encouragement of Nicola, Victoria and Matthew.
Our approach to political thought has been shaped over many years by
engagements with Bruce Haddock, David Boucher and Rex Martin.
Thanks are due to them and to the students that we have both taught
and learned from over the years. Also, we owe thanks to the editors
and readers at Edinburgh University Press.
Swansea and Cardiff, 2012
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An Intro to Political Thought.qxp:An Intro to Political Thought.qxp 1/2/12 10:51 Page 1
INTRODUCTION
HISTORICAL CONCEPTUAL
The Nature of Conceptual Tools for
Political Thought Everyday Living
As we write this introductory chapter the news is on in the background
giving the world a briefing on those things that are of real importance
to us. The news is of war in the Middle East, of the Presidential elec-
tions in the USA, of the UK government appearing before a public
inquiry, of tax laws and public-sector wages, of education reform,
international business, of refugee crises, asylum seekers and immigra-
tion and of continuing starvation in the developing world. As we think
about these issues over our morning coffee we are already engaged in
political thought. We are being asked to reflect on some very difficult
and profound issues. Was it right for the USA/UK alliance to go to war
with Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq or should the United Nations
have made the decision? Is war ever right and, if so, under what con-
ditions should we interfere in the affairs of other countries? Who
should rule and how should they be accountable to the people? How
much tax should we pay and why? Do we have a duty to those suffer-
ing outside our immediate society? If so, what should we do about it?
How, if at all, should we adapt to a multicultural world? These are not
abstract questions. The fact that they arise in the normal run of things
and require an urgent answer impacts heavily upon our lives and the
lives of others.
Thinking about politics is unavoidable and not just for those of you
beginning university courses. Everybody has to do it. More importantly,
we believe that everyone has a right to do it. This last sentence is worth
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