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观念的发明者：西方政治哲学导论
政治行动和政治制度要么是基于政治哲学家发明的政治观念，要么是由于缺乏这样的观念。古往今来，伟大思想家通过提出回应社会问题的新观念来回应其共同体中的危机。他们不仅过去是、现在也是才华横溢之人，那些新的政治观念将为他们所感受到的混乱带来秩序。他们还给出理由来支持他们关于谁应当统治、如何统治以及为了谁的利益而统治这些问题的主张。
无论亚里士多德关于人性和宇宙的思考，圣奥古斯丁对于两座城邦的看法，马基雅维利的精英和大众之分，霍布斯和洛克对自然状态的构想，玛丽·沃斯通克拉夫特对性别角色的批判，密尔的自由概念，马克思对资本主义的批判，还是弗洛伊德对人类心理的刻画，他们的观念都带来了改变。他们以此作为弱者的武器，用来对抗充当压迫性政权工具的其他观念。
政治哲学的研究为我们呈现出过去的模式，我们可以通过人为的、抽象的但终究是有意义的术语（例如古代、中世纪以及现代）来考察这些模式。这些术语和相关的观念为我们提供了新的视角，从而使得我们能够以有助于扩大政治进步这一目标的方式去评价甚至改变当前的政府结构、组织与行为。因此，它们通过帮助我们从少数人或多数人的奴役中解放出来，提升了我们作为自由且负责任的公民采取行动的能力。
本书是为帮助读者看到政治哲学如何以种种大多数人没有认识到的方式与人类生活的各个方面相联系，并旨在成为一本针对该主题的读者友好型入门图书。通过简要地讨论 17位主要西方政治思想家的观点，以阐明他们关于政治和社会的观点对于我们理解当代政治是多么重要。
无论亚里士多德关于人性和宇宙的思考，圣奥古斯丁对于两座城邦的看法，马基雅维利的精英和大众之分，霍布斯和洛克对自然状态的构想，玛丽·沃斯通克拉夫特对性别角色的批判，密尔的自由概念，马克思对资本主义的批判，还是弗洛伊德对人类心理的刻画，他们的观念都带来了改变。他们以此作为弱者的武器，用来对抗充当压迫性政权工具的其他观念。
政治哲学的研究为我们呈现出过去的模式，我们可以通过人为的、抽象的但终究是有意义的术语（例如古代、中世纪以及现代）来考察这些模式。这些术语和相关的观念为我们提供了新的视角，从而使得我们能够以有助于扩大政治进步这一目标的方式去评价甚至改变当前的政府结构、组织与行为。因此，它们通过帮助我们从少数人或多数人的奴役中解放出来，提升了我们作为自由且负责任的公民采取行动的能力。
本书是为帮助读者看到政治哲学如何以种种大多数人没有认识到的方式与人类生活的各个方面相联系，并旨在成为一本针对该主题的读者友好型入门图书。通过简要地讨论 17位主要西方政治思想家的观点，以阐明他们关于政治和社会的观点对于我们理解当代政治是多么重要。
521 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 21, 2009
Want a nice, relatively brief introduction to Western political philosophy? Tannenbaum and Schultz have written such a work. I used it as the organizing text (along with a fat book of selections from major Western philosophers over the ages) the one time that I taught a course on Western political philosophy. It worked well; students seemed to enjoy this volume (and there is now a newer edition, but I haven't read that yet).
The authors define the purpose of the book thus (Page xv): "The overall aim of the book is to discuss concisely the views of over thirty major Western political thinkers in order to demonstrate how their views about politics and society are crucial to understanding the politics of our time." Do they succeed? Each reader must decide for him or herself, but I think it does its work pretty well. The book looks at a number of themes for different thinkers--the individual versus the collectivity/group/state, what approach to philosophy the thinker exemplifies (from ancient to postmodern), and so on. There is not much space to allot to each thinker, but--overall--the reader will get a decent sense of the key points of each thinker.
The first chapter lays out the themes of the book and provides a general background to political philosophy. I especially enjoyed the second chapter, covering a subject not necessarily typical of such works--the playwrights of Athens (I once signed a contract to write a book on politics, and spent about 1/4 of an early chapter on Greek drama and myth). Sophocles and Aristophanes provide a perspective on key issues of the day, and help set the stage for what follows.
Plato and Aristotle are two of the major theorists of the ages, and each is allocated a full chapter. Other chapters (and this is not an exhaustive listing) focus on Roman thought, Medieval political thought (e.g., St. Augustine), John of Salisbury, and Marsiglio of Padua. Modern Thought is introduced in this volume by considering Machiavelli, early scientific thinkers (e.g., Bacon, Descartes, and Newton), Hobbes, Locke, and so on. One interesting wrinkle: A chapter on Mary Wollstonecraft. The consideration of Modern thinkers ends with Marx. The final section is just one chapter long--on postmodern thinkers, with discussion of some of the origins. Here, Freud and Nietzsche are featured as prologue. One disappointment here (although some readers would find it a strength!): there is very little discussion of contemporary postmodern thinkers, such that one would not get much of a sense of the recent body of work.
Anyhow, this is a strong introductory volume. Were I to assign myself to teach this course again, I would probably use the newest edition of this text. I thought it was that useful--and students even liked it!
The authors define the purpose of the book thus (Page xv): "The overall aim of the book is to discuss concisely the views of over thirty major Western political thinkers in order to demonstrate how their views about politics and society are crucial to understanding the politics of our time." Do they succeed? Each reader must decide for him or herself, but I think it does its work pretty well. The book looks at a number of themes for different thinkers--the individual versus the collectivity/group/state, what approach to philosophy the thinker exemplifies (from ancient to postmodern), and so on. There is not much space to allot to each thinker, but--overall--the reader will get a decent sense of the key points of each thinker.
The first chapter lays out the themes of the book and provides a general background to political philosophy. I especially enjoyed the second chapter, covering a subject not necessarily typical of such works--the playwrights of Athens (I once signed a contract to write a book on politics, and spent about 1/4 of an early chapter on Greek drama and myth). Sophocles and Aristophanes provide a perspective on key issues of the day, and help set the stage for what follows.
Plato and Aristotle are two of the major theorists of the ages, and each is allocated a full chapter. Other chapters (and this is not an exhaustive listing) focus on Roman thought, Medieval political thought (e.g., St. Augustine), John of Salisbury, and Marsiglio of Padua. Modern Thought is introduced in this volume by considering Machiavelli, early scientific thinkers (e.g., Bacon, Descartes, and Newton), Hobbes, Locke, and so on. One interesting wrinkle: A chapter on Mary Wollstonecraft. The consideration of Modern thinkers ends with Marx. The final section is just one chapter long--on postmodern thinkers, with discussion of some of the origins. Here, Freud and Nietzsche are featured as prologue. One disappointment here (although some readers would find it a strength!): there is very little discussion of contemporary postmodern thinkers, such that one would not get much of a sense of the recent body of work.
Anyhow, this is a strong introductory volume. Were I to assign myself to teach this course again, I would probably use the newest edition of this text. I thought it was that useful--and students even liked it!
July 12, 2008
Gotta love Tannenbaum, that crazy, crazy man. Intro. to Political Thought was horrific, but it's almost a (red) badge of courage (lol, book joke) to make it through. This book is very well-organized and precise.
April 22, 2023
A good textbook. Engaging at times, but some parts drag on and get a bit boring.
Want to read
January 15, 2019very interesting and clear publich about political thoughts
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews