The History of Political Theory and Other Essays [Hardcover]

A collection of penetrating essays on political thought - past, present and future - by a major commentator.Arguing for the importance of a historical perspective in political thought, this collection of recent essays engages with central concepts such as obligation, trust, and freedom of conscience. It tackles contemporary problems such as racism and humanitarian intervention.Arguing for the importance of a historical perspective in political thought, this collection of recent essays engages with central concepts such as obligation, trust, and freedom of conscience. It tackles contemporary problems such as racism and humanitarian intervention.In this collection of recent essays (several appearing in English for the first time), John Dunn brings his penetrating insight to a wide range of political issues. He argues for the importance of a historical perspective in political thought, engages with central concepts such as obligation, trust, and freedom of conscience, and tackles contemporary problems such as racism and humanitarian intervention. The volume provides a representative collection of work by one of the most astute political commentators writing today.1. Introduction; 2. The history of political theory; 3. Contractualism; 4. Political obligation; 5. Trust; 6. The claim to freedom of conscience: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of worship?; 7. Property, justice and common good after socialism; 8. The dilemma of humanitarian intervention: the executive power of the Law of Nature after God; 9. Specifying and understanding racism; 10. Political science, political theory, and policymaking in an interdependent world; 11. Democracy: the politics of making, defending and exemplifying community: Europe 1992; 12. Is there a contemporary crisis of the nation state?; 13. Political and economic obstacles to rapid collective learning; 14. The heritage and future of the European left. ...the essays are brief, focused, cogent, and carefully thought out...l³6