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An examination of Socrates' trial as played out in the Apology, Theaetetus, Euthyphro, Cratylus, Sophist, and Statesman. Finding that the heart of the dialogues is the rivalry between the characters of the Stranger of Elea and Socrates, the author devotes a chapter to each dialogue and explores the Stranger of Elea's criticism that the uncompromising pursuit of knowledge conflicts with the task of weaving together humans into a political community. The melding of the arguments of Socrates and the Stranger of Elea, the author suggests, is the best path to understanding Plato's political philosophy. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Book Synopsis The Paradox of Political Philosophy by : Jacob Howland
Download or read book The Paradox of Political Philosophy written by Jacob Howland and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 1998 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of Socrates' trial as played out in the Apology, Theaetetus, Euthyphro, Cratylus, Sophist, and Statesman. Finding that the heart of the dialogues is the rivalry between the characters of the Stranger of Elea and Socrates, the author devotes a chapter to each dialogue and explores the Stranger of Elea's criticism that the uncompromising pursuit of knowledge conflicts with the task of weaving together humans into a political community. The melding of the arguments of Socrates and the Stranger of Elea, the author suggests, is the best path to understanding Plato's political philosophy. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Book Synopsis Paradoxes of Political Ethics by : John M. Parrish
Download or read book Paradoxes of Political Ethics written by John M. Parrish and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
A central current in the history of democratic politics is the tensions between the political culture of an informed citizenry and the potentially antidemocratic impulses of the larger mass of individuals who are only marginally involved in the political world. Given the public's low level of political interest and knowledge, it is paradoxical that the democratic system works at all. In The Paradox of Mass Politics W. Russell Neuman analyzes the major election surveys in the United States for the period 1948-1980 and develops for each a central index of political sophistication based on measures of political interest, knowledge, and style of political conceptualization. Taking a fresh look at the dramatic findings of public apathy and ignorance, he probes the process by which citizens acquire political knowledge and the impact of their knowledge on voting behavior. The book challenges the commonly held view that politically oriented college-educated individuals have a sophisticated grasp of the fundamental political issues of the day and do not rely heavily on vague political symbolism and party identification in their electoral calculus. In their expression of political opinions and in the stability and coherence of those opinions over time, the more knowledgeable half of the population, Neuman concludes, is almost indistinguishable from the other half. This is, in effect, a second paradox closely related to the first. In an attempt to resolve a major and persisting paradox of political theory, Neuman develops a model of three publics, which more accurately portrays the distribution of political knowledge and behavior in the mass population. He identifies a stratum of apoliticals, a large middle mass, and a politically sophisticated elite. The elite is so small (less than 5 percent) that the beliefs and behavior of its member are lost in the large random samples of national election surveys, but so active and articulate that its views are often equated with public opinion at large by the powers in Washington. The key to the paradox of mass politics is the activity of this tiny stratum of persons who follow political issues with care and expertise. This book is essential reading for concerned students of American politics, sociology, public opinion, and mass communication.
Book Synopsis The Paradox of Mass Politics by : W. Russell Neuman
Download or read book The Paradox of Mass Politics written by W. Russell Neuman and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1986 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A central current in the history of democratic politics is the tensions between the political culture of an informed citizenry and the potentially antidemocratic impulses of the larger mass of individuals who are only marginally involved in the political world. Given the public's low level of political interest and knowledge, it is paradoxical that the democratic system works at all. In The Paradox of Mass Politics W. Russell Neuman analyzes the major election surveys in the United States for the period 1948-1980 and develops for each a central index of political sophistication based on measures of political interest, knowledge, and style of political conceptualization. Taking a fresh look at the dramatic findings of public apathy and ignorance, he probes the process by which citizens acquire political knowledge and the impact of their knowledge on voting behavior. The book challenges the commonly held view that politically oriented college-educated individuals have a sophisticated grasp of the fundamental political issues of the day and do not rely heavily on vague political symbolism and party identification in their electoral calculus. In their expression of political opinions and in the stability and coherence of those opinions over time, the more knowledgeable half of the population, Neuman concludes, is almost indistinguishable from the other half. This is, in effect, a second paradox closely related to the first. In an attempt to resolve a major and persisting paradox of political theory, Neuman develops a model of three publics, which more accurately portrays the distribution of political knowledge and behavior in the mass population. He identifies a stratum of apoliticals, a large middle mass, and a politically sophisticated elite. The elite is so small (less than 5 percent) that the beliefs and behavior of its member are lost in the large random samples of national election surveys, but so active and articulate that its views are often equated with public opinion at large by the powers in Washington. The key to the paradox of mass politics is the activity of this tiny stratum of persons who follow political issues with care and expertise. This book is essential reading for concerned students of American politics, sociology, public opinion, and mass communication.
This book expounds an analytical method that focuses on paradoxes - a method originally associated with deconstructive philosophy, but bearing little resemblance to the interpretive techniques that have come to be designated as 'deconstruction' in literary studies. The book then applies its paradox-focused method as it undertakes a sustained investigation of Thomas Hobbe's political philosophy. Hobbes's theory of the advent and purpose of government turns out to reveal the impossibility of the very developments which it portrays as indispensable.
Book Synopsis Hobbes and the Paradoxes of Political Origins by : M. Kramer
Download or read book Hobbes and the Paradoxes of Political Origins written by M. Kramer and published by Springer. This book was released on 1997-06-30 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book expounds an analytical method that focuses on paradoxes - a method originally associated with deconstructive philosophy, but bearing little resemblance to the interpretive techniques that have come to be designated as 'deconstruction' in literary studies. The book then applies its paradox-focused method as it undertakes a sustained investigation of Thomas Hobbe's political philosophy. Hobbes's theory of the advent and purpose of government turns out to reveal the impossibility of the very developments which it portrays as indispensable.
From the theory of 'deliberative democracy' to the politics of the 'third way', the present Zeitgeist is characterized by attempts to deny what Chantal Mouffe contends is the inherently conflictual nature of democratic politics. Far from being signs of progress, such ideas constitute a serious threat to democratic institutions. Taking issue with John Rawls and Jrgen Habermas on one side, and the political tenets of Blair, Clinton and Schrder on the other, Mouffe brings to the fore the paradoxical nature of modern liberal democracy in which the category of the 'adversary' plays a central role. She draws on the work of Wittgenstein, Derrida, and the provocative theses of Carl Schmitt, to propose a new understanding of democracy which acknowledges the ineradicability of antagonism in its workings.
Book Synopsis The Democratic Paradox by : Chantal Mouffe
Download or read book The Democratic Paradox written by Chantal Mouffe and published by Verso Books. This book was released on 2020-05-05 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the theory of 'deliberative democracy' to the politics of the 'third way', the present Zeitgeist is characterized by attempts to deny what Chantal Mouffe contends is the inherently conflictual nature of democratic politics. Far from being signs of progress, such ideas constitute a serious threat to democratic institutions. Taking issue with John Rawls and Jrgen Habermas on one side, and the political tenets of Blair, Clinton and Schrder on the other, Mouffe brings to the fore the paradoxical nature of modern liberal democracy in which the category of the 'adversary' plays a central role. She draws on the work of Wittgenstein, Derrida, and the provocative theses of Carl Schmitt, to propose a new understanding of democracy which acknowledges the ineradicability of antagonism in its workings.
This critical study of the influential political theorist dispels popular myths and reveals the inner logic of his varied and notoriously complex writings. Political theorist Leo Strauss was unexpectedly thrust into the media spotlight for his alleged influence on neoconservative politics. With The Truth about Leo Strauss, Michael and Catherine Zuckert challenged the many claims and speculations about this complex thinker. Now, with Leo Strauss and the Problem of Political Philosophy, they offer a more comprehensive interpretation of Strauss’s thought, using the many manifestations of the “problem of political philosophy” as their touchstone. Strauss, they argue, sought to restore political philosophy to its original Socratic form. This is demonstrated through his critique of positivism and historicism, two intellectual currents that undermined his Socratic project. The authors also explore Strauss’s interpretation of both ancient and modern political philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Locke. Finally, they examine Strauss’s thought in the context of the twentieth century, when his chief interlocutors were Schmitt, Husserl, Heidegger, and Nietzsche. Leo Strauss and the Problem of Political Philosophy is the most in-depth treatment of this often misunderstood thinker, examining his ideas across his long career. It reveals Strauss’s overall intellectual project: to decode how ancient and modern theory attempted to solve the problem of political philosophy. And it shows why Strauss considered the ancient solution both philosophically and politically superior.
Book Synopsis Leo Strauss and the Problem of Political Philosophy by : Michael P. Zuckert
Download or read book Leo Strauss and the Problem of Political Philosophy written by Michael P. Zuckert and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2014-06-30 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This critical study of the influential political theorist dispels popular myths and reveals the inner logic of his varied and notoriously complex writings. Political theorist Leo Strauss was unexpectedly thrust into the media spotlight for his alleged influence on neoconservative politics. With The Truth about Leo Strauss, Michael and Catherine Zuckert challenged the many claims and speculations about this complex thinker. Now, with Leo Strauss and the Problem of Political Philosophy, they offer a more comprehensive interpretation of Strauss’s thought, using the many manifestations of the “problem of political philosophy” as their touchstone. Strauss, they argue, sought to restore political philosophy to its original Socratic form. This is demonstrated through his critique of positivism and historicism, two intellectual currents that undermined his Socratic project. The authors also explore Strauss’s interpretation of both ancient and modern political philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Locke. Finally, they examine Strauss’s thought in the context of the twentieth century, when his chief interlocutors were Schmitt, Husserl, Heidegger, and Nietzsche. Leo Strauss and the Problem of Political Philosophy is the most in-depth treatment of this often misunderstood thinker, examining his ideas across his long career. It reveals Strauss’s overall intellectual project: to decode how ancient and modern theory attempted to solve the problem of political philosophy. And it shows why Strauss considered the ancient solution both philosophically and politically superior.
In the Republic, Plato addresses the deepest questions about the human soul and human community, the proper objects of worship and reverence, the nature of philosophy, and the relationship between the philosopher and the political community. As presented in the Republic, Socratic philosophizing is eternally unfinished, paradoxical, and ambiguous. According to Jacob Howland, this openness allows for ever-fresh approaches to the questions Plato raises. "Clear, accessible, and very informative . . . a successful and inviting text." --Review of Metaphysics "If only there were more books like this one! Jacob Howland's The Republic: The Odyssey of Philosophy opens up the wealth of the experience of reading Plato's Republic by carefully demonstrating how the dialogue cuts across the boundaries of philosophy and literature." --Peter Warnek, University of Oregon "Jacob Howland's book is an engaging, readable, and extremely suggestive addition to the literature on Plato's magnum opus." --Ancient Philosophy "In this concise, stimulating and provocative book Howland is in effect dealing with the central and persistent problem about the interpretation of the Republic : what is its purpose, and how do we establish what that is?" --Polis "I know of no other book devoted to the Republic that so straightforwardly furnishes a healthy orientation of Plato's philosophical intentions. It will be of unqualified interest both to first-time students of the Republic and to their teachers. Yet it will also intrigue those looking for further, responsible light on apparently well-worn paths. A most inviting, helpful reading." --St. John's Review Jacob Howland is McFarlin Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tulsa, where he teaches courses in ancient Greek and in the Honors Program as well as in philosophy. He has written and lectured on the work of Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Hegel, Richard Wright, and Claude Lanzmann, among others, and his articles have appeared in journals such as the Review of Metaphysics, Phoenix, the American Political Science Review, the Review of Politics, and Interpretation . He is the author of The Paradox of Political Philosophy: Socrates' Philosophic Trial (Rowman & Littlefield, 1998), and he has just completed a book entitled Kierkegaard and Socrates: A Study of Philosophy and Faith.
Book Synopsis The Republic by : Jacob Howland
Download or read book The Republic written by Jacob Howland and published by Paul Dry Books. This book was released on 2004 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Republic, Plato addresses the deepest questions about the human soul and human community, the proper objects of worship and reverence, the nature of philosophy, and the relationship between the philosopher and the political community. As presented in the Republic, Socratic philosophizing is eternally unfinished, paradoxical, and ambiguous. According to Jacob Howland, this openness allows for ever-fresh approaches to the questions Plato raises. "Clear, accessible, and very informative . . . a successful and inviting text." --Review of Metaphysics "If only there were more books like this one! Jacob Howland's The Republic: The Odyssey of Philosophy opens up the wealth of the experience of reading Plato's Republic by carefully demonstrating how the dialogue cuts across the boundaries of philosophy and literature." --Peter Warnek, University of Oregon "Jacob Howland's book is an engaging, readable, and extremely suggestive addition to the literature on Plato's magnum opus." --Ancient Philosophy "In this concise, stimulating and provocative book Howland is in effect dealing with the central and persistent problem about the interpretation of the Republic : what is its purpose, and how do we establish what that is?" --Polis "I know of no other book devoted to the Republic that so straightforwardly furnishes a healthy orientation of Plato's philosophical intentions. It will be of unqualified interest both to first-time students of the Republic and to their teachers. Yet it will also intrigue those looking for further, responsible light on apparently well-worn paths. A most inviting, helpful reading." --St. John's Review Jacob Howland is McFarlin Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tulsa, where he teaches courses in ancient Greek and in the Honors Program as well as in philosophy. He has written and lectured on the work of Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Hegel, Richard Wright, and Claude Lanzmann, among others, and his articles have appeared in journals such as the Review of Metaphysics, Phoenix, the American Political Science Review, the Review of Politics, and Interpretation . He is the author of The Paradox of Political Philosophy: Socrates' Philosophic Trial (Rowman & Littlefield, 1998), and he has just completed a book entitled Kierkegaard and Socrates: A Study of Philosophy and Faith.
Most democratic theory imagines democracy either as a static ideal, or else as a timeless sea of contestation. This book turns attention to democracy's neglected historical dimension, arguing that a legitimate democracy needs not only to respect all citizens' equal freedoms in the present, but that it must also do so through a political system that citizens have chosen for themselves. According to this view, both the history of democratic revolutions and ongoing struggles for democratic reform are integral parts of what makes democracies democratic. It argues that democracy is the only legitimate form of government not because it rests on the right theoretical foundations, but because it is the only form that needs no foundations at all: it is the only way of deciding what will count as good, right, or true without presupposing the right of some authorities to impose their decisions on everyone else with the force of law. But for the same reason, there is no one "right" way of putting democracy into practice and the people must choose for themselves which way is best. Of course this begs the question as to whether we need a system in place to determine the will of the people. Meckstroth argues that we can solve this paradox if we work out the conditions of any coherent claim to speak in the people's name. In the heat of actual democratic struggles, one can show which side's claims hold up better and which undercut their own authority because they cannot answer claims from the other side. Meckstroth looks at history and context in the development of democratic theory to provide a principled way of sorting out deep conflicts over who has the right to speak for the democratic people. He tests this theory by applying it to contemporary debates over same-sex marriage, military intervention, and gun control. He finds that sometimes democracy requires minority rule and that sometimes history provides the key to determining what the democratic people have decided in the present.
Book Synopsis The Struggle for Democracy by : Christopher Meckstroth
Download or read book The Struggle for Democracy written by Christopher Meckstroth and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most democratic theory imagines democracy either as a static ideal, or else as a timeless sea of contestation. This book turns attention to democracy's neglected historical dimension, arguing that a legitimate democracy needs not only to respect all citizens' equal freedoms in the present, but that it must also do so through a political system that citizens have chosen for themselves. According to this view, both the history of democratic revolutions and ongoing struggles for democratic reform are integral parts of what makes democracies democratic. It argues that democracy is the only legitimate form of government not because it rests on the right theoretical foundations, but because it is the only form that needs no foundations at all: it is the only way of deciding what will count as good, right, or true without presupposing the right of some authorities to impose their decisions on everyone else with the force of law. But for the same reason, there is no one "right" way of putting democracy into practice and the people must choose for themselves which way is best. Of course this begs the question as to whether we need a system in place to determine the will of the people. Meckstroth argues that we can solve this paradox if we work out the conditions of any coherent claim to speak in the people's name. In the heat of actual democratic struggles, one can show which side's claims hold up better and which undercut their own authority because they cannot answer claims from the other side. Meckstroth looks at history and context in the development of democratic theory to provide a principled way of sorting out deep conflicts over who has the right to speak for the democratic people. He tests this theory by applying it to contemporary debates over same-sex marriage, military intervention, and gun control. He finds that sometimes democracy requires minority rule and that sometimes history provides the key to determining what the democratic people have decided in the present.
Book Synopsis Force Or Freedom? by : William T. Bluhm
Download or read book Force Or Freedom? written by William T. Bluhm and published by . This book was released on with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
"Is there any such thing as political philosophy?" So begins this provocative book by one of the foremost figures in Continental thought. Here, Jacques Ranciere brings a new and highly useful set of terms to the vexed debate about political effectiveness in the face of a new world order. What precisely is at stake in the relationship between "philosophy" and the adjective "political"? In Disagreement, Ranciere explores the apparent contradiction between these terms and reveals the uneasy meaning of their union in the phrase "political philosophy" -- a juncture related to age-old attempts in philosophy to answer Plato's devaluing of politics as a "democratic egalitarian" process. According to Ranciere, the phrase also expresses the paradox of politics itself: the absence of a proper foundation. Politics, he argues, begins when the "demos" (the "excessive" or unrepresented part of society) seeks to disrupt the order of domination and distribution of goods "naturalized" by police and legal institutions. In addition, the notion of "equality" operates as a game of contestation that constantly substitutes litigation for political action and community. This game, Ranciere maintains, operates by a primary logic of "misunderstanding". In turn, political philosophy has always tried to substitute the "politics of truth" for the politics of appearances. Disagreement investigates the various transformations of this regime of "truth" and their effects on practical politics. Ranciere then distinguishes what we mean by "democracy" from the practices of a consensual system in order to unravel the ramifications of the fashionable phrase "the end of politics". His conclusions will be of interest toreaders concerned with political questions from the broadest to the most specific and local.
Book Synopsis Dis-agreement by : Jacques Rancière
Download or read book Dis-agreement written by Jacques Rancière and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Is there any such thing as political philosophy?" So begins this provocative book by one of the foremost figures in Continental thought. Here, Jacques Ranciere brings a new and highly useful set of terms to the vexed debate about political effectiveness in the face of a new world order. What precisely is at stake in the relationship between "philosophy" and the adjective "political"? In Disagreement, Ranciere explores the apparent contradiction between these terms and reveals the uneasy meaning of their union in the phrase "political philosophy" -- a juncture related to age-old attempts in philosophy to answer Plato's devaluing of politics as a "democratic egalitarian" process. According to Ranciere, the phrase also expresses the paradox of politics itself: the absence of a proper foundation. Politics, he argues, begins when the "demos" (the "excessive" or unrepresented part of society) seeks to disrupt the order of domination and distribution of goods "naturalized" by police and legal institutions. In addition, the notion of "equality" operates as a game of contestation that constantly substitutes litigation for political action and community. This game, Ranciere maintains, operates by a primary logic of "misunderstanding". In turn, political philosophy has always tried to substitute the "politics of truth" for the politics of appearances. Disagreement investigates the various transformations of this regime of "truth" and their effects on practical politics. Ranciere then distinguishes what we mean by "democracy" from the practices of a consensual system in order to unravel the ramifications of the fashionable phrase "the end of politics". His conclusions will be of interest toreaders concerned with political questions from the broadest to the most specific and local.
