Politics: Key Concepts in Philosophy

The extent and nature of rights; the sources of state power; the promises and pitfalls of democracy; how to achieve a just distribution of social goods; the claims of culture and gender on our identity: these are just some of the issues to have been addressed by political philosophers throughout history.

Politics: Key Concepts in Philosophy offers a thorough and stimulating account of political philosophy. The text is structured thematically in order to convey the vibrancy of debates within the discipline. Through these debates the text addresses the ideas of major thinkers - including Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Foucault, Rawls, Kymlicka, Okin and Butler - and it begins and ends with discussions about the nature of political philosophy itself.

This is an invaluable aid to study, one that goes beyond simple definitions and summaries; readers new to this discipline will encounter a lively text full of clear signposts for the journey into political philosophy.

Iain MacKenzie is Lecturer in Political Theory at the University of Kent, UK. His previous publications include Political Concepts: A Reader and Guide (Edinburgh UP, 2005) and The Idea of Pure Critique (Continuum, 2004).