Political Philosophy

From Greek antiquity to the latest theories, this historical survey of political philosophy not only covers the major thinkers in the field but also explores the theme of how political philosophy relates to the nature of man. It illustrates how the great political thinkers have always grounded their political thought in what the author terms a 'normative anthropology', which typically has not only ethical but metaphysical and/or theological components. Starting with the ancient Greek Sophists, author Michael J. White examines how thinkers over the centuries have approached such political and philosophical concerns as justice, morality, and human flourishing, offering substantial studies of-among others-Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, and J. S. Mill. White highlights the impact of Christianity on political philosophy, illustrating the diversity of that impact by studies of Augustine, Aquinas, and Marsilius of Padua. Concluding with an in-depth analysis of John Rawls and contemporary liberal political philosophy, this text blends insight and information in a refreshing and useful manner. A brief Epilogue considers both the value and the limitations of political philosophy and its study. "This book is a challenging book, in the best sense. White's central thesis, while controversial, is nevertheless important, consistently argued - both historically and philosophically, and presented in a thoroughly engaging manner." - Philosophy in Review "A masterpiece of clear thinking, this well-written text will challenge many to reflect more closely on matters often too quickly decided. The result is more than one might ever have expected of an introductory text of this size; indeed a better introduction to the subject is hard to imagine." - Alastair Hannay, University of Oslo
"This book is a challenging book, in the best sense. White's central thesis, while controversial, is nevertheless important, consistently argued - both historically and philosophically, and presented in a thoroughly engaging manner."--Philosophy in Review

"A masterpiece of clear thinking, this well-written text will challenge many to reflect more closely on matters often too quickly decided. The result is more than one might ever have expected of an introductory text of this size; indeed a better introduction to the subject is hard to imagine."--Alastair Hannay, University of Oslo

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION; CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION; POLITICS AND HUMAN NATURE; THE IDEA OF HUMAN NATURE OR THE HUMAN GOOD AS 'FUNCTION': NORMATIVE ANTHROPOLOGY; MY 'STORY' OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY-AND MY CAST OF CHARACTERS; ENDURING ISSUES IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY; CHAPTER 2. CLASSICAL GREEK POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: BEGINNINGS; NATURE OR NURTURE?; PROTAGORAS' DEMOCRATIC TRADITIONALISM; THE FUNCTIONALISTIC FOUNDATION OF THE POLITICAL ARETAI IN NATURE (PHYSIS); GLAUCON'S CONTRACTARIAN POLITICAL THEORY; CHAPTER 3. PLATO: GOVERNMENT FOR CORRUPTED INTELLECTS; SOCRATES' POLIS OF PIGS; THE 'REPUBLIC' OF PLATO'S REPUBLIC; THE HUMAN ERGON AND THE PURPOSE OF POLITICAL ORGANIZATION; FURTHERING RATIONALITY BY MEANS OF THE POLIS?; WHY SHOULD ANYONE RETURN TO THE CAVE?; PLATO AND 'THE RULE OF LAW'; CHAPTER 4. ARISTOTLE: POLITICS AS THE MASTER ART; THE HUMAN GOOD: INTELLECTUAL AND POLITICAL; ACTING CORRECTLY (EUPRAXIA) AS A GRAND END?; THE POLIS AS A COMPLETE COMMUNITY; THE ROLE OF POLITICS: THE MASTER ART?; CONCLUDING THOUGHTS; CHAPTER 5. CICERO: THE COSMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF POLITICS; CICERO AS CHAMPION OF THE RES PUBLICA; WHAT IS RIGHT (IUS): THE RULE OF LAW (LEX) AND NORMATIVE ANTHROPOLOGY; VIRTUES, DUTIES, AND LAWS; CHAPTER 6. CHRISTIANITY: A POLITICAL RELIGION?; THE NEW TESTAMENT AND BEYOND; PAULINE COSMOPOLITANISM; THE ROMAN EMPIRE CHRISTIANIZED; THE ADVENT OF TEMPORA CHRISTIANA (THE CHRISTIAN ERA); CHAPTER 7. AUGUSTINE, AQUINAS AND MARSILIUS OF PADUA: POLITICS FOR SAINTS, SINNERS, AND HERETICS; ST. AUGUSTINE; THE TWO RATIONALES OF AUGUSTINE'S CITY OF GOD; THE TWO CITIES; THEORETICAL POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES; CHRISTIANS AS GOOD CITIZENS OF SECULAR STATES?; ST. THOMAS AQUINAS; THE HUMAN FUNCTION: NATURE AND PRAETERNATURE; THE 'PARTS' OF THE ETERNAL LAW: DIVINE, NATURAL, AND HUMAN LAW; POLITICAL FORMS, PROCEDURES, AND OTHER PARTICULARS; AQUINAS' POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: SOME CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS; MARSILIUS OF PADUA; THE AUTONOMOUS BUT COERCIVE REGNUM (POLITICAL COMMUNITY) AND ITS LAW; THE POLITICAL WISDOM AND AUTHORITY OF THE WHOLE BODY OF CITIZENS (OR THE WEIGHTIER PART THEREOF); CHAPTER 8. HOBBES AND LOCKE: SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY CONTRACTARIANISM; THOMAS HOBBES: NATURAL LAW SIMPLIFIED AND MODERNIZED; NATURAL LAW, NATURAL RIGHTS, AND THE HUMAN FUNCTION; LAW, CONTRACTS, AND THE 'LEVIATHAN'; THE CIVIL STATE: SOVEREIGNS AND SUBJECTS; CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ON GOD AND SOVEREIGNS; JOHN LOCKE: DIVINELY MANDATED AUTONOMY, NATURAL RIGHTS, AND PROPERTY; MORAL KNOWLEDGE AND HUMAN MOTIVATION; THE STATE OF NATURE AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT; PROPERTY AND LIBERAL POLITICAL THEORY: LOCKEAN ORIGINS; CHAPTER 9. ROUSSEAU AND MARX: REACTION TO BOURGEOIS-LIBERALISM; JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU: AUTONOMOUS CITIZENS FOR THE TRUE REPUBLIC; THE INTERTWINED DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION, CORRUPTION, AND MORALITY; THE SOCIAL CONTRACT AND THE EMILE: REPUBLICS AND REPUBLICAN CITIZENS; POLITICS AND THE HUMAN FUNCTION; KARL MARX: DISTORTION OF THE HUMAN FUNCTION WITHIN THE BOURGEOIS-LIBERAL STATE; POLITICAL EMANCIPATION AND THE BOURGEOIS-LIBERAL STATE; ALIENATION AND THE HUMAN FUNCTION; HISTORICAL MATERIALISM AND THE COMING OF COMMUNISM; CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: THE COOK SHOPS OF THE FUTURE MADE PRESENT; CHAPTER 10. MILL AND RAWLS: LIBERALISM ASCENDANT?; JOHN STUART MILL: PERFECTIONIST LIBERALISM; MILL'S LIBERALISM; LIBERTY AND GOVERNMENT; DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICANISM; CONCLUDING THOUGHT ON MILL AND LIBERALISM; JOHN RAWLS: POLITICAL (AND NON-PERFECTIONIST?) LIBERALISM; EGALITARIAN JUSTICE AS THE "FIRST VIRTUE OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS": BASIC ASSUMPTIONS; RAWLS' TWO PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE: WHAT THEY APPLY TO AND WHY; CONSENSUS, PUBLIC REASON, AND THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN CITOYEN AND BOURGEOIS; THE ULTIMATE JUSTIFICATION OF RAWLSIAN LIBERALISM?; EPILOGUE; NOTES