Politics
Philosophers have thought about justice and society since at least the days of Plato. From the idealistic vision of Plato's Republic, constructed with the objective of helping man live an ethical life, political thinking has advanced through Machiavelli and Hobbes's notions of power to the diverse ideas of 20th century thinkers caught up in the momentous events of their times. In this section, we list books on politics that have had a lasting effect on the thought of subsequent generations. The list is arranged alphabetically by author.
Politics Aristotle, trans: TA Sinclair and TJ Saunders, text: WD Ross Harmondsworth: Penguin Classics, 1981 A study of the ideal constitution. It is only in the political community (public life, as opposed to private life) that human beings can live an ethical life, which is concerned with creating a just society. The Road to Serfdom FA Hayek Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994 (first published 1944) Reflection on the relation between individual liberty and government authority. Argues against the collectivist idea of empowering government with a large amount of economic control. The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli, trans: G Bau Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1961 (first published 1531) A guide to the principles of power politics. Machiavelli (1469–1527) drew upon his first-hand observations of the statecraft of Cesare Borgia and the political manoeuverings of his period. Capital Karl Marx London: Lawrence and Wishart (3 vols), 1970 (first published 1867, 1885, 1894) Important reference point for any serious thinking about political economics. More talked about than read. It is best to consider the arguments here in the context of the whole work. The Laws Plato, trans: AE Taylor London: JM Dent and Sons, Everyman's Library, 1934 Where there are laws there are also injustices, but laws hold up the ideal and mould a society towards that ideal. Plato's Laws are more than a catalogue of practical injunctions: they go to the sources of evil and discuss various aspects of justice and ethics. The Republic Plato, trans: Paul Shorey Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, Loeb Classical Library, 1953 The Republic was the first utopia, a standard for all states and for all human life. As Socrates points out, it makes no difference whether such a state is realized. A man can order his life by its laws, and live a just life. |
