Approaches to Political ThoughtApproaches to Political Thought raises three important questions concerning traditional political thought: (1) Why study the political writings and ideas of Plato, Machiavelli, and other long-dead writers? (2) Who among the writers, and which of their works, are worth studying? (3) How should they be studied? The book then explores ten contemporary approaches to understanding political thought and the diverse answers to these questions. The approaches covered include those of Leo Strauss, Hannah Arendt, Eric Voegelin, Sheldon Wolin, the Cambridge School (Quentin Skinner and J.G.A. Pocock), Psychobiography, Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School (Herbert Marcuse and Jürgen Habermas), Hermeneutics (Paul Ricoeur and Hans-Georg Gadamer), Michel Foucault, and Feminist Criticism (Susan Moller Okin and Jean Elshtain). Each chapter includes an introductory essay and edited selections that illustrate or discuss that approach. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and suggestions for further exploration, including books, articles, and web sites. This exploration of contending contemporary approaches to political thought touches upon ongoing methodological and philosophical issues that are relevant to several academic disciplines, including political science, history, philosophy, and psychology. |
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Contents
1 | |
29 | |
33 | |
65 | |
97 | |
127 | |
129 | |
Quentin Skinner JGA Pocock and History of Thought | 159 |
Herbert Marcuse Jürgen Habermas and Critical Theory | 207 |
Paul Ricoeur HansGeorg Gadamer and Hermeneutics | 229 |
Michel Foucault and the Archeology of Knowledge | 253 |
Feminist Criticism Okin and Elshtain | 277 |
Conclusion | 305 |
Sources and Permissions | 315 |
Index | 319 |
About the Contributors | 331 |
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action analysis approaches argues Aristotle become Cambridge century chapter Chicago classical concepts concerned consciousness contemporary context crisis critical dialectical discourse discussion Elshtain Eric Voegelin Erikson essay existence experience fact feminist Foucault Gadamer Hannah Arendt Hans-Georg Gadamer Hegel Herbert Marcuse hermeneutics historian history of political Hobbes human Ibid ideas ideologies important interpretation J.G.A. Pocock Jürgen Habermas knowledge Kuhn Kuhn’s language Leo Strauss litical Luther Machiavelli man’s Marcuse’s Marx Marx’s Marxism meaning Michel Foucault nature Nietzsche notion Okin one’s paradigm past Plato Pocock political philosophy political science political scientist political theory political thought possible Prince ch problems psychobiography Psychohistory Quentin Skinner question reality reason Revolution Ricoeur role scientific sense Sheldon Sheldon Wolin Skinner social society Socrates speech study of political theorists things thinking tion tradition truth understanding University Press Wolin women writings York