An Introduction to Political Philosophy

by Jonathan Wolff

What would life be like without the state? What justifies the state? Who should rule? How much liberty should the citizen enjoy? How should property be justly distributed? This book examines the central problems involved in political philosophy and the past attempts to respond to these problems. Jonathan Wolff looks at the works of Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, Marx, and Rawls (among others), examining how the debates between philosophers...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192892517
• ISBN13: 9780192892515
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.7" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

The perfect introduction

This is probably the best introduction available, being lucid and succinct, it also takes just the right approach to the subject for the beginner. Instead of a chapter by chapter guide to the main thinkers or theories, Wolff cleverly structures the book in such a way that the student is gently coaxed into exploring the fundamental questions of political philosophy for himself. The author notes at the beginning that it is sometimes said that 'who gets what?' and 'who says so?' are the only two questions of importance in the subject. Whilst denying this to be entirely the case, Wolff puts these questions firmly into intial context by asking why we need the state at all and then proceeds to ask if we do need the state, who indeed should govern it? He then explores the issue of the distribution of goods before returning to the 'who says who gets what?' and by the end of the book the reader should be able to explore that question through the lenses of the competing theories of today, such as feminism or communitarianism. I was lucky enough to have the author as one of my lecturers at university and, indeed, to take my tutorials in political philosophy in my final year. As a working class student with zero self-esteem and who was failing abjectly to mix within the rarefied air of an elite university, Mr Wolff (unlike certain snobs and marxist posers) admirably strived to boost my confidence and every student found his tutorials and lectures to be models of patience and clarity. This book is imbubed with those qualities throughout and thus can't be recommended highly enough. Whether you are a high school student or a 1st year undergraduate, this book will have you asking the right questions and should put you in the perfect position to look in closer detail at the major issues.

Do you need an Introduction????? This is it!!!

This is a very good introduction...I mean VERY good. I have not finished it yet but I can tell you that it is written in such a way that you really get all the substance without sweat...and also..you simply do not want to put the book down...really a page turner. They way Mr Wolff presents the differents views on each issue is excellent!!! Interested in Political Philosophy??? This should be your book of choice.

Excellent Introduction

I found this to be a great introduction to political philosophy. In an unbiased manner, Jonathan Wolff reviews the central ideas that are fundamental to the field: the state of nature, how one justifies the formation of the state, how to pick rulers, liberty, distribution of property, individualism, justice, rights, democracy, utilitarianism, and social contracts. He also reviews ideas of the major thinkers -- Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, etc. The book is organized by TOPIC, not by thinker, which is a format that I find was best suited for learning & for tying different thinker's ideas together. The writing is clear, simple, and chatty; it seems to have been written for college freshman. The only minor fault is that the book does not cover some major figures in political theory that I would have included: Aristotle & Machiavelli were not mentioned, for example. However, overall, I'd recommend this book. I'm keeping it on my bookself for reference.

Excellent book!

This was required reading for my philosophy class. It is very thorough, but still understandable. This book is at the base of my entire understanding of political philosophy, and I still rely on it from time to time. For anyone in philosophy, Lincoln-Douglas debate, or just are interested, READ THIS!

Great book with which to start an intellectual snow-ball

Jo Wolff provides a very lucid and wide-ranging introduction to the issues of political philosophy, interspersing theoretical issues with helpful and illuminating analogies. Highly recommended for the newcomer to the subject, and an enticing stimulus for anyone who has ever considered the foundations of political theory. Even if you haven't, this book is a great introduction to a fascinating and increasingly popular subject.