|
| Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) | 
 enlarge | Author: David Miller
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy New: £3.05
You Save: £4.94 (62%)
New (32) from £3.05
Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 16520
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 0192803956
Dewey Decimal Number: 320.011
EAN: 9780192803955
ASIN: 0192803956
Publication Date: June 26, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New. Shipped from UK Mainland. Delivery is usually 2 - 3 working days from order by Royal Mail, International Delivery is by Airmail.
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 Good introduction November 17, 2008
There is a difference between political philosophy, ideology and day to day politics.
Political philosophy asks question about the nature of democracy, the ideal state and the like. This subject is the most abstract and introduces ideas such as how should citizens be organsed and education (see Plato) or why do we need a sovereign (see Hobbes) or are we entitled to private property (see Locke).
Ideology (which is sometimes a dirty word) tends to refer to braod political ideas such as Conservatism, Liberalism, Socialism and Communism. Ideology tends to form a bridge between political philosophy (and other subjects such as history, economics and sociology) and day to day politics. Whatever they claim, most parties tend to draw on a broad 'ideology' which helps them in their formulation of an election manifesto which also tempers the party's ideology to meet practical needs and to stand a reasonavle chance of getting elected.
Political philosophy is essentially an abstract subjects quite removed from day to day politics and concerned with debating the meaning of fundlemental political concepts and the nature of man and society.
This is a good but basic introduction.
 Unsatisfying February 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This was a mildly interesting introduction to an interesting subject. I felt it rambled a little, and was disappointed that it did not introduce any key theorists and missed out some key concepts (sovereignty, for example). The book only really succeeds in raising some key questions, but does not introduce one to the multifarious attempts to answer these questions. Furthermore, Miller's own opinions (given heavy weighting in the final chapters) are not particularly interesting or radical, and given the nature of the medium (a 'very short introduction') would be better presented elsewhere.
If you want a very short introduction to the subject of political philosophy, a good alternative is the 'Politics: A Very Short Introduction', which I have found to be a much better read and much more thorough.
Gets my vote December 3, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Short, readable, crystal clear. Politics books are often a hard climb or at least a tedious trudge. This is a smooth glide by comparison.
Miller states at the start that he wants to avoid jargon and academic mumbo-jumbo and he does just that, taking us on a concise but enjoyable tour of political philosophy. He begins at first principles and gradually builds his arguments, with deftly chosen examples adding depth and colour to the text. The logical progression means that the focus is firmly on democracy (since that is the political system that makes most sense to most people nowadays). Although he presents (and knocks down) arguments for alternative systems, don't expect great forays into the pros and cons of ideologies like Communism or Fascism. Among the concepts he tackles are justice, social justice, freedom, multiculturalism, feminism and globalisation.
The thoughts of political philosophers such as Plato, Rousseau, Locke, Mill and Rawls are woven beautifully into the flow, compact nuggets that reinforce rather than halt the narrative. Anyone who has tried to trawl through Rawls in the original will whisper a quiet thankyou when they arrive at the digested wisdom of Miller's version.
Miller makes a promise at the outset and he sticks to it: to be scrupulously fair and present all sides of each argument, even if the reader doesn't share his own leanings (which I sensed were slightly leftward).
In sum, it would be hard to do better than this for a well-reasoned introduction to (or refresher course in) political philosophy.
perfectly pocket-sized political philosophy July 17, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This little book is a quick yet thoughtful work-through of some major areas of political philosophy. Whats great is that you can finish it in a single evening and know loads more than before. David Miller is a very good writer and his narrative style sweeps the reader along as he investigates political issues. Miller has refrained from cluttering his text with unnesscary jargon. Throughly enjoyable and refreshingly different to other introductions, this is simply a very good book. I loved the way in which Miller used a 14th century painting ('Allergory of Good and Bad Government' by Lorenzetti) to act as a discussion point for opening up political philosophy becuase it really added flavour to proceedings.
It should be warned, however, that this book is far from comprehensive even in an 'introduction' sense of the word. Instead of being written with a quick synopsis of all the major discussion, Miller instead opts for a continuous narrative that works through *some* of the major topics of the discipline. Interestingly, Miller's book is not so much an illustration of the debates as it is an argument for his personal conclusions through illustrating these debates. This is not neccessarily a bad thing, though, as it still serves to introudce the reader to the fundamentals and still allows the reader to come to their own opinons. In many ways, it is actually quite nice to see conclusions made for once rather than questions left unanswered as coming to conclusions is also a part of the philosophical discipline.
I have given this book five stars becuase its great, but it should be realised that other, more comprehensive introductions could prove better due to more depth. However, it undoubtedly introduces political philosophy in an excellent manner, especially considering its length (130 or so very small pages). It is, afterall, meant to be a very short introduction and it scores five stars when taken as such.
Life saver December 7, 2003
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
I have always had my doubts about chosing to study political philosophy at university like i did. Although i enjoy the subject, i have never fully understood the principals...until now! David Miller uses great explanations of the ideas behind the subject so that everyone can understand. It is short, but he has used the space well and now i am well on course for a first!
|
|
|
Learn how to have your own
Amazon Shop
Travel Maps and Guides
zeugma
| | Holiday Travel |
alpharooms.com for cheap holiday deals in spain and worldwide
Disneyland Paris for a great family holiday or short break.
Holday Cottages throughout Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland and France with Cottages4you
Hilton - need we say more, you will find Hilton Hotels in most areas throughout Britain, in cities and in the countryside.
Don't forget Travel Insurance
Airport Parking
|
|
|
|
