Political Theory Today

by David Held (Editor)

Overview

What is the proper subject matter for political theory? Uncertainty about the most appropriate way of answering these questions provides the key rationales for this volume: to provide a comprehensive overview of the central questions and debates in contemporary political thought and to offer guidelines for the reformulation of political theory made necessary by the philosophical and substantive problems it faces today.

The twelve essays in this book examine some of the classic traditional questions of political theory: the nature of obligation, equality, liberty, the public, the private, democracy, and justice. They also examine questions that relate these notions to a broader framework encompassing the many recent changes in the nation-state, forms of sovereignty, domestic and international law, violence and warfare, and domestic and international political economy.

The contributors are leading scholars in political theory from the United States, Europe, and Africa: Samir Amin, Charles Beitz, Antonio Cassese, John Dunn, Jon Elster, David Held, Agnes Heller, Steven Lukes, Iain McLean, Claus Offe, Susan Moller Okin, Onora O'Neill and Ulrich K. Preuss.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804718981
Publisher:	Stanford University Press
Publication date:	06/01/1991
Pages:	372
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.83(d)

About the Author

David Held is Professor of Politics and Sociology at Open University, and the author of several books, most recently Political Theory and the Modern State: Essays on State, Power, and Democracy.

Table of Contents

Introduction: David Held.

1. Political Obligation: John Dunn.

2. Equality and Liberty: Must They Conflict? Steven Lukes.

3. Gender, the Public and the Private: Susan Moller Okin.

4. The Theory of Property: Andrew Reeve.

5. The Possibility of Rational Politics: Jon Elster.

6. Democratic Institutions and Moral Resources: Claus Offe.

and Ulrich K. Preuss.

7. Forms of Representation and Systems of Voting: Iain McLean.

8. Democracy, the Nation State and the Global System: David Held.

9. Sovereignty and Morality in International Affairs: Charles Beitz.

10. Violence, War and the Rule of Law in the International Community: Antonio Cassese.

11. Transnational Justice: Onora O'Neill.

12. The State and Development: Samir Amin.

13. The Concept of the Political: Agnes Heller.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

'An outstanding set of original papers that will be of great value to anyone interested in contemporary political theory. What is especially impressive about the books is the balance of essays on issues of domestic and international politics.' Joshua Cohen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

'Something for everyone from the neophyte to the hardened professional. Especially valuable is the emphasis on the important and relatively neglected subject of international political morality.' Brian Barry, London School of Economics

'It is the great merit of David Held's collection that almost all the contributors feel the need to unite normative political philosophy with a theory of the political and social systems of modern states. They seek to illuminate and modify recent theories of rights and justice by applying them to a whole series of issues which have been marginalized or ignored by contemporary political philosophers.' Times Higher Education Supplement

'The core themes of this collection are more pressing than ever. Social and political theory have a real part to play in recasting societies and this volume is a valuable contribution towards that.' Sociological Review

'Political Theory Today is a scrupulously edited collection of original essays on representative themes in contemporary political theory. It is valuable and important in a number of ways. It will be widely used on courses. All of the essays are interesting, some of them outstandingly so.' International Affairs

From the Publisher