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Political theory never stands by itself. Any theoretical explanation of politics depends on attitudes and positions which stem from metaphysics, theology, ethics, or science. An understanding of the political thought of a man, then, will require some insight into the relationship between his politics and the presuppositions on which it is based. To write about the political theory of Descartes, however, presents special difficulties, for Descartes cannot be considered an important political thinker in his own right. His actual references to politics are scant. His influence on later thinkers did not arise from his thought about politics. Nevertheless, in political theory Descartes must be considered, for it was Descartes who set the patterns of speculative thought after him, including thought about politics. After Descartes the scientific and mechanical orientations of thought replaced the traditional Christian and Aristotelian molds in which politics had been considered.

This book offers a much needed reappraisal of Vilfredo Pareto's often ignored or misunderstood contribution to the theory and philosophy of politics.

Bell relates his personal experience in a contractual post at Tsinghua University in Beijing, the first foreigner to be hired in the humanities at Tsinghua since China's revolution, teaching political theory to students destined to become China's political elite. China is wide open for political change, & these particular students may well play a role in that change. The job was not without its challenges, & though not all of them were about politics, Bell did face certain political constraints re course readings & topics. A graduate student from the Chinese Communist Party's university asked to audit the class, which turned out to be a positive experience, leading to livelier class discussion. Later on, this student invited Bell to give a lecture at the Communist school, an invitation that taken some negotiation with the school administration. While he began the lecture with tips about learning English, not sure what he should say about politics, the students turned the discussion to political philosophy, & the experience ended very well. J. Stanton

"This vibrant and significantly revised new edition is a comprehensive and accessible text for studying political theory in a changing world. Bringing together classic and contemporary political concepts and ideologies into one book, it introduces the major approaches to political issues that have shaped our world, and the ideas that form the currency of political debate. Consistently, it relates political ideas to political realities through effective use of examples and case studies making theory lively, contentious and relevant. With significant revisions which reflect the latest questions facing political theory in an increasingly international context, key features and updates include: Two brand new chapters on Migration, and Freedom of Speech and a significant new section on the radical right; Thought-provoking case studies to bring the theory to life including social media and internet regulation, Brexit and the EU, anti-vaxxer campaigns, surrogacy tourism, and autonomous anarchist zones; A revamped website, including podcasts, to aid study of, and reading around, the subject. Introduction to Political Theory, fourth edition is the perfect accompaniment to undergraduate study in political theory, political philosophy, concepts and ideologies, and more broadly to the social sciences and philosophy"--

The meaning of politics -- The society -- The state -- The civil society -- Power -- Freedom -- Equality -- Rights -- Justice -- Law -- Citizenship -- Political culture -- Democracy -- Political ideology -- Government -- Social and political change -- Crisis of Indian political theory.

It is a question, said David Hume, "whether there be any essential difference between one form of government and another and, whether every form . . . may not become good or bad, according as it is well or ill administered," administered well by men of virtue -- that is, people of good character, wisdom, and high principle -- or administered badly by fools and knaves who know or care nothing for justice and the common good. Were it once admitted, Hume continued, "that all governments are alike, and that the only difference consists in the character and conduct of the governors, most political disputes would be at an end, and all zeal for one constitution above another, must be esteemed mere bigotry and folly." Hume imagines people who take that view adopting the maxim of Alexander Pope in the Essay on Man: "For forms of government let fools contest/Whateer is best administerd is best.". Adapted from the source document.

Introduction : the interface of political theory and cultural studies / Jodi dean -- Warring maneuvers -- The will, capital punishment, and cultural war / William E. Connolly -- The subject of true feeling : pain, privacy, and politics / Lauren Berlant -- Cultural politics : political theory and the foundations of democratic order / Barbara Cruikshank -- Academic politics and social change / George Lipsitz -- Shifting culture -- The song remains the same : communitarianism's cultural politics / Mark Reinhardt -- The governmentality of discussion / Paul A. Passavant -- The cultural turn in marxism / Judith Grant -- Action or distraction? cultural studies in the United States / Paul Apostolidis -- Generating politics -- Democracy and national fantasy : reflections on the Statue of Liberty / Linda Zerilli -- Imagined immunities / Priscilla Wald -- Race and the romance of American nationalism in Martin Luther King, Norman Mailer, and James Baldwin / George Shulman -- Making of the unwanted colonies : (un)imagining desire / Aida A. Hozic -- Haunting affiliations -- Real American dreams (can be nightmares) / Kathleen Stewart -- Wild things / Thomas L. Dumm -- The politics of the "family" / Michael J. Shapiro -- Declarations of independence / Jodi Dean