Human beings live together in societies which, by their very nature, give rise to institutions governing the behavior and freedom of individuals. This raises important questions about how these institutions ought to function, and the extent to which actual systems of government succeed or fail in meeting these ideals.
This Oxford Reader contains 140 key writings on political thought, covering issues about human nature and its relation to society, the extent to which the powers of the State are justified, the tension between liberty and rights, and the way resources should be distributed. Topics such as international relations, minority rights, democracy, socialism, and conservatism are also discussed by contributors ranging from Plato and Aristotle to Foucault, Isaiah Berlin, and Martin Luther King.
Author(s): Michael Rosen; Catriona McKinnon; Jonathan Wolff
Series: Oxford readers
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 1999
Table Of Contents + Preface
I.a. The Natural State of Mankind
I.b. Man's Nature and Woman's Nature
Section 2 Introduction + II.a. What Is The State
II.b. The Social Contract
Il.c. Against the Social Contract
II.d. The Anarchist Response
II.e. Civil Disobedience
Section III Introduction + III.a. Against Democracy
III.b. Democratic Ideals
III.c. True and False Democracy
III.d. Dangers In Democracy
III.e. Democracy and Bureaucracy
III.f. The Separation of Powers
Section IV Introduction + IV.a. What Is Liberty
IV.b. Law and Morality
IV.c. Toleration and Free Expression
IV.e. Rights
IV.f. Punishment
Section V Introduction + V.a. Private Property
V.a. Continued
V.a. Continued
V.b. The Market
V.b. Continued
V.c. Theories of Distributive Justice
Section VI Introduction + VI.a. Peace And War
VI.b. Nationalism
VI.c. Minority Rights
VI.d. Intergenerational Justice
VI.e. International Justice
Section VII Introduction + VII.a. Alternatives To Liberalism
VII.b. Conservatism
VII.c. Communitarianism
VII.d. Socialism
VII.e. Post-modernism
Section VIII Progress And Civilization
Select Bibliography
Source Acknowledgements
Notes
Biographical Notes
Appendix
Index
Blank Page
