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An international team of experts explores the distinction between 'thin' concepts (general, evaluative terms like 'good' and 'bad') and 'thick' concepts (more specific concepts, such as 'brave', or 'rude'). Their essays touch on key debates in metaethics about the evaluative and normative, and raise fascinating questions about how language works.

Global history needs common concepts. European concepts are deeply problematic, as Dipesh Chakrabarty has shown, because their genealogy in European experience makes them particular and universal at the same time and reduces the rest of the world to a history of lack. Taking the history of the ashraf and their relation to the middle classes as an example, Pernau's article moves beyond the impasse of European thought as "both indispensable and inadequate." In the first step, it claims, it makes sense to use those analytical categories to create a common field of reference, while marking their use as provisional. In the second step conceptual history becomes central in two respects; investigating the history of the analytical concepts allows us to destabilize the boundary between the interpretation offered by the historical actors and the one offered by historians. To this needs to be added the history of colonial actors' concepts, taking into consideration translingual practices. The third step addresses the problem of how to transform the existing analytical concepts in order to do greater justice to the ways in which actors conceived of their world.

"Sociology consists of a myriad of frequently confusing concepts. Key Concepts in Sociology provides a comprehensive, lively and clearly-written guide to the most important concepts in the subject. It includes both what might be regarded as 'classic' sociological concepts, such as 'class', 'bureaucracy' and 'community', as well as subjects that have become increasingly prominent in recent times, such as 'celebrity', 'risk' and 'the body'."--pub. desc

Les concepts évoluent dans un processus de filiation. La créativité ne peut survenir que dans la reconnaissance d'une dépendance relative aux générations antérieures. La richesse des réflexions en psychanalyse et notamment celles portant sur la relation pulsion/objet et sur le traumatisme permet d'alimenter des questions chez les psychanalystes s'intéressant aux couples et aux familles. L'analyse de groupe, et d'un autre point de vue l'approche systémique, ont influencé nos domaines théoriques. Des concepts plus spécifiques tels que les alliances inconscientes, le transgénérationnel, l'incestuel nous permettent d'adosser notre pratique. Il est souhaitable et probable que l'étude des couples et des familles donne naissance à d'autres avancées conceptuelles.

This text offers a sophisticated analysis of central political concepts in the light of debates in political theory. It introduces students to some of the main interpretations, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses, including a range of the main concepts employed in contemporary debates.

"Provides a clear introduction to the technical concepts and policies of contemporary governance through short definitional essays"--Publisher description

Written by a powerful international team of theorists, this book offers a sophisticated analysis of the central political concepts in the light of recent debates in political theory. All political argument employs political concepts. They provide the building blocks needed to construct a case for or against a given political position. To address such issues as whether or not development aid is too low, income tax too high, or how to cope with poverty and the distribution of wealth, citizens must develop views on what individuals are entitled to, what they owe to others, and the role of individual choice and responsibility in these areas. These matters turn on an understanding of concepts such as rights, equality and liberty and the ways they relate to each other. People of different political persuasions interpret such key political concepts in different ways. This book introduces students to some of the main interpretations, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. It covers a broad range of the main concepts employed in contemporary political and theoretical debates. Separate chapters look at liberty, rights, social justice, political obligation, nationalism, punishment, social exclusion, legitimacy, the rule of law, multiculturalism, gender, public and private, democracy, environmentalism, international justice and just war. This book is perfect for students of political theory and political ideology, and indeed anyone approaching political theory for the first time.

Written by a powerful international team of theorists, this book offers a sophisticated analysis of the central political concepts in the light of recent debates in political theory. All political argument employs political concepts. They provide the building blocks needed to construct a case for or against a given political position. To address such issues as whether or not development aid is too low, income tax too high, or how to cope with poverty and the distribution of wealth, citizens must develop views on what individuals are entitled to, what they owe to others, and the role of individual choice and responsibility in these areas. These matters turn on an understanding of concepts such as rights, equality and liberty and the ways they relate to each other. People of different political persuasions interpret such key political concepts in different ways. This book introduces students to some of the main interpretations, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. It covers a broad range of the main concepts employed in contemporary political and theoretical debates. Separate chapters look at liberty, rights, social justice, political obligation, nationalism, punishment, social exclusion, legitimacy, the rule of law, multiculturalism, gender, public and private, democracy, environmentalism, international justice and just war. This book is perfect for students of political theory and political ideology, and indeed anyone approaching political theory for the first time.

Cover -- Half-Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface to the Second Edition -- The Key Concepts -- Appendices -- 1 Law Reports and Journals (Some Useful References) -- 2 Extracts from the Interpretation Act 1978 -- 3 Extracts from the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.