Political theory

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Simon Critchley and Oliver Marchart

"Laclau: A Critical Reader is the first full-length critical appraisal of Ernesto Laclau's work and includes contributions from several leading philosophers and theorists. The first section examines Laclau's theory that the contest between universalism and particularism provides much of the philosophical background to political and social struggle, taking up the important place accorded to, amongst others, Hegel and Lacan in Laclau's work. The second section of the book considers what Laclau's 'radical democracy' might look like and reflects on its ethical implications, particularly in relation to Laclau's post-Marxism and thinkers such as Jurgen Habermas. The final section investigates the place of hegemony in Laclau's work, the idea for which he is perhaps best known." "This stimulating collection also includes replies to his critics by Laclau and the important exchange between Laclau and Judith Butler on equality, making it an excellent companion to Laclau's work and essential reading for students of political and social theory."--BOOK JACKET.

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Frederick P. Brandauer and Chun-chieh Huang

"In traditional times, the emperor of China was assumed to be a morally upright person who, as Son of Heaven, ruled an empire that was arranged beneath him in hierarchical order and that functioned as a harmonious and self-consistent whole. His own conduct was believed to influence the working of the natural order of all "under heaven." The essays in Imperial Rulership and Cultural Change in Traditional China examine the relationship between emperors and culture, and ask how effective emperors were in generating cultural change. Collectively, they find that although an image of rulership as an ideal persisted throughout Chinese history, there is a great discrepancy between the image of the Chinese ruler as an all-powerful, benevolent, sovereign figure and the actual practice of this rulership." "Arranged chronologically by subject matter, the essays cover historical periods ranging from the third century B.C. to A.D.^ 1900, and reflect the disciplines of history, literature, religious studies, and philosophy. Jack L. Dull's essay, "Determining Orthodoxy: Imperial Roles," examines the extent to which Chinese emperors attempted to and were successful in determining orthodoxy; Stephen Durrant's "Ssu-ma Ch'ien's Portrayal of the First Ch'in Emperor" shows how the author of the Shih-chi (the first comprehensive history of China) deals with the controversial Ch'in Shih-huang; in "The Emperor and Literature: Emperor Wu of the Han," David R. Knechtges explores the important role of Han Wu-ti in actively supporting literature; Chen Jo-shui's "Empress Wu and Proto-Feminist Sentiments in T'ang China" analyzes the use of Buddhism by China's only woman ruler to legitimize the idea of a female emperor and examines the influence of her ideas on history; Thomas H.C.^ Lee's "Academies: Official Sponsorship and Suppression" explores how and when intellectuals associated with early Chinese academies sought to achieve independence from imperial rulership; in "Imperial Rulership and Buddhism in the Early Northern Sung," Huang Chi-chiang focuses on the promotion of Buddhism by the four emperors who reigned from 960 to 1063; Huang Chun-chieh, in "Imperial Rulership in Cultural History: Chu-hsi's Interpretation," discusses the great Sung Neo-Confucian philosopher's insistence on the need for education of the ruler; Frederick P.^ Brandauer's "The Emperor and the Star Spirits: A Mythological Reading of the Shui-hu chuan" shows how the earliest complete version of the novel presents a mythological frame promoting loyalty and support for the emperor (in contrast to the seventeenth-century truncated version used by Marxist critics); "Ku Yen-wu's Ideal of the Emperor: A Cultural Giant and a Political Dwarf," by Ku Wei-ying, analyzes the views on rulership of a leading seventeenth-century Chinese scholar; and R. Kent Guy's "Imperial Powers and the Appointment of Provincial Governors in Ch'ing China, 1700-1900" examines the way in which emperors used their power of appointment to impose their own vision and effect cultural change."--Jacket.

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Robert Nozick

One of the foremost philosophers of our time, Robert Nozick continues the Socratic tradition of investigation. This volume, which illustrates the originality, force, and scope of his work, also displays Nozick's trademark blending of extraordinary analytical rigor with intellectual playfulness. As such, Socratic Puzzles testifies to the great pleasure that both doing and reading philosophy can be. Comprising essays and philosophical fictions, classics and new work, the book ranges from Socrates to W. V. Quine, from the implications of an Israeli kibbutz to the flawed arguments of Ayn Rand. Nozick considers the figure of Socrates himself as well as the Socratic method (why is it a "method" of getting at the truth?). Many of these essays bring classic methods to bear on new questions about choice. How should you choose in a disconcerting situation ("Newcomb's Problem") when your decisions are completely predictable? Why do threats and not offers typically coerce our choices? How do we make moral judgments when we realize that our moral principles have exceptions? Other essays present new approaches to familiar intellectual puzzles, from the stress on simplicity in scientific hypotheses to the tendency of intellectuals to oppose capitalism. As up to date as the latest reflections on animal rights; as perennial as the essentials of aesthetic merit (doggerel by Isaac Newton goes to prove that changing our view of the world won't suffice); as whimsical as a look at how some philosophical problems might appear from God's point of view: these essays attest to the timeliness and timelessness of Nozick's thinking. With a personal introduction, in which Nozick discusses the origins, tools, and themes of his work, Socratic Puzzles demonstrates how philosophy can constitute a way of life.

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Mónica Judith Sánchez Flores

"In a time of globalization, Political Philosophy for the Global Age provides a theoretical basis for the convergence of human values in terms of legitimate conceptions of time, language, and notions of self. Sanchez Flores reviews what she considers to be the most important positions in the current debate on political theory (liberalism, communitarianism, feminism, and postcolonialism) and also proposes her own original contribution. Sanchez Flores's unique approach is a critique of a type of morality formulated solely on the basis of the Judeo-Christian view of reality. It is a theoretical construct that becomes an invitation to explore other notions of human morality and an inquiry into the need to produce a political philosophy that universalizes an ethics of caring and responsibility as well as provides a locus where diverse human cultures can meet."--Jacket.