Political Thought & Political Thinkers

Book Details

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Author: Judith N. Shklar

• Editor: Stanley Hoffmann

• Language: English

• Edition: 2019

• ISBN: 9788131610930

• Pages: 428

• Cover: Hardcover

• Sale Territory: India

About the Book
Political Thought and Political Thinkers is the second volume of Judith N. Shklar’s work, following her 1997 publication Redeeming American Political Thought. This collection brings together previously uncollected and some unpublished essays that span a range of themes. These essays explore the role of intellect in modern politics, the dangers of identity politics, and Shklar’s distinctive defense of liberalism.

Known as one of the most important liberal scholars of the 20th century, Shklar is remembered for her sharp intellect, forceful personality, and intellectual honesty. This volume showcases her contributions to the reinvigoration of liberal theory over the past two decades. The collection includes her famous essay "The Liberalism of Fear" and addresses her engagements with key political thinkers like Bergson, Arendt, and Rousseau.

The book is also an essential guide to Shklar’s thought, edited by noted political theorist Stanley Hoffmann and complemented by George Kateb’s comprehensive introduction. Through Shklar's essays, readers gain insight into her exploration of European history, thinkers, and the relationship between politics and intellect.

This definitive collection of Shklar’s work offers a compelling and flexible intellect in action, providing readers with a rich and thought-provoking perspective on the history of moral and political thought.

Contents

• Part 1: Learning about Politics

  • The Liberalism of Fear

  • Political Theory and the Rule of Law

  • Obligation, Loyalty, Exile

  • The Bonds of Exile

• Part 2: Learning about Thought

  • Squaring the Hermeneutic Circle

  • Politics and the Intellect

  • Learning without Knowing

  • Subversive Genealogies

  • The Political Theory of Utopia: From Melancholy to Nostalgia

  • What Is the Use of Utopia?

• Part 3: Learning about Thinkers

  • Poetry and the Political Imagination in Pope’s An Essay on Man

  • Ideology Hunting: The Case of James Harrington

  • Montesquieu and the New Republicanism

  • Reading the Social Contract

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Equality

  • Jean D’Alembert and the Rehabilitation of History

  • Bergson and the Politics of Intuition

  • Nineteen Eighty-Four: Should Political Theory Care?

  • Rethinking the Past

  • Hannah Arendt as Pariah

  • The Work of Michael Walzer

About the Author
Judith N. Shklar (1928–1992) was the Cowles Professor of Government at Harvard University from 1956 to 1992. A towering figure in political theory, she authored several influential works, including Ordinary Vices and The Faces of Injustice.

About the Editor
Stanley Hoffmann is the Paul and Catherine Buttenwieser University Professor at Harvard University. He is known for his work in political theory and international relations.

About the Contributor
George Kateb is a Professor of Politics at Princeton University and a prominent figure in political philosophy, known for his work on democracy, justice, and human dignity.