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The State: Past, Present, Future
Debates about the role and nature of the state are at the heart of modern politics. However, the state itself remains notoriously difficult to define, and the term is subject to a range of different interpretations. In this book, distinguished state theorist Bob Jessop provides a critical introduction to the state as both a concept and a reality. He lucidly guides readers through the main approaches to the state and state power, paying due attention to the world of states and emphasising its relation to the wider social world. Essential themes in the analysis of the state are explored in full, including state formation, periodization, the re-scaling of the state and the state's future, the nature of crises in the state and wider political order, and the reciprocal relations between states. Throughout, Jessop clearly defines key terms, from hegemony and coercion to government and governance. He also analyses what we mean when we speak about 'normal' and 'exceptional' states, and states that are 'failed' or 'rogue'. Combining an accessible style with expert sensitivity to the complexities of the state, this book will be core reading for students and scholars of politics and sociology, as well as anyone interested in the changing role of the state in contemporary societies.
248 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 26, 2019
Özellikle ‘90 sonrası çağdaş devlet teorilerine ilişkin çok güzel ve güncel, fakat üslubu biraz ağır bir literatür taraması. Kapitalist devlet üzerine çalışma yapanların okuyup kaynakçasından faydalanması işlerini çok kolaylaştırır.
Yazarın ‘stratejik ilişkiselcilik’ teorisi beni ikna etmedi. Daha doğrusu bunun Marksist-Leninist devlet ve düzen bakışından hangi noktalarda ayrıldığını göremedim. ‘İlişkiler, bağlamlar, tarihsel gelişim çok önemli’ demenin daha akademik bir yolu bu stratejik ilişkiselcilik. Çoğu zaman da Marksizm-Leninizm’in her şeyini alıp, örgütlü mücadele kısmını bırakmanın bir adı.
Yine de Jessop çok okuyan, iyi özetleyen, meselenin özünü güzelce kavrayıp onu tam gerekli noktaya parmak basarak aktarabilen iyi bir yazar.
Yazarın ‘stratejik ilişkiselcilik’ teorisi beni ikna etmedi. Daha doğrusu bunun Marksist-Leninist devlet ve düzen bakışından hangi noktalarda ayrıldığını göremedim. ‘İlişkiler, bağlamlar, tarihsel gelişim çok önemli’ demenin daha akademik bir yolu bu stratejik ilişkiselcilik. Çoğu zaman da Marksizm-Leninizm’in her şeyini alıp, örgütlü mücadele kısmını bırakmanın bir adı.
Yine de Jessop çok okuyan, iyi özetleyen, meselenin özünü güzelce kavrayıp onu tam gerekli noktaya parmak basarak aktarabilen iyi bir yazar.
March 8, 2024
A veces utiliza un lenguaje algo complicado sin una razón aparente, pero en general, es genial. Examina de manera excelente las complejidades del Estado a lo largo del tiempo. Lo que más me gusta es cómo detalla los problemas teóricos que surgen al definir el Estado comúnmente y luego adopta un enfoque más empírico al respecto, además de hablar de su posible futuro. Ofrece mucha información y logra que se entienda al Estado como una entidad polimórfica que atraviesa distintas crisis y existe dentro de la estructura capitalista.
January 23, 2016
If you want the most current view on the state and state theory, look no further. This is an amazing book that summarises the various strands and current understanding of state theory into one, easy to read and understand volume. The breadth and depth of Jessop's arguments are amazing. Well worth a read.
August 13, 2018
This book is not for the faint-hearted in terms of both its difficulty and its message, and it's all the more rewarding for it. Bob Jessop outlines and demonstrates the body of his work on the state, providing a complex, multi-theoretical method for studying the state and defining the state and in its many forms and contexts, arguments demonstrating the method, in depth arguments on state theory, the state as it functions today, and methodological and substantive thoughts on the future of the state and the state system.
Long term students of the state will likely find much to sink their teeth into, whether in terms of future research, new methods or approaches to the states study, or by way of disagreement with Jessop's argument and conclusions. However, as relative newcomer to state theory I'd like to give some thoughts on its value to new students of the state, and particularly to political philosophers and normative political theorists (my own field).
Despite its difficulty, a number of themes appear throughout the book which should be of interest to the three categories just mentioned. To name just a few: (1) the contingent (and always apparent) unity of the state; (2) the contingent nature of the state form; (3) state power as a contextualised, contingent, and multi-faceted outcome of the prevailing balance of forces; (4) the state as an ensemble of institutions; and finally, (5) the role of 'state projects' and the state idea.
The first theme is of value because in much political theory the state is very often treated as simply a unitary actor either with benign or beneficial aims representing the popular will and maintaining the conditions required to flourishing, or as a simple vehicle for domination by a unified interest-group. Jessop's book teaches one to be skeptical of any such assertion and provides the resources to challenge it. Likewise, the second theme cautions against assuming any particular form to the state and that it necessarily has a particular form (usually, simply authoritarian, totalitarian, liberal-democratic, socialist, and so on). Here again, the book cautions against such assumptions, paving way for skepticism towards approaches treating the state as simply a positive or negative phenomenon.
The third theme shows the complex way in which power functions in the state and the myriad ways in which it can be used to dominate various sub-sections of society. Notably, Jessop argues that 'the state does not (and cannot) exercise power' (247). This, like the previous two themes, warns political philosophers against the simple (and very common) assumption that what we are normatively concerned with is the exercise of power by a unified body. Instead, state power is complex, wielded by multiple actors at multiple levels (the fourth theme). This suggests that political philosophy concerned with the justification of state power needs more depth and more real-world analysis of state power to avoid resorting to over-simplified pictures of reality in presenting the case for some normative outcome.
Fifth, and finally, the notion of state projects or state ideas importantly introduces the role of ideas and ideology into the study of the state. Of course, this is not new. However, the significant contribution Jessop makes (and whether this is fairly new, I don't know), is that the idea of the state and the state project must be included in its definition. Further, by means of these concepts Jessop's introduces notions of 'the common good' and 'general will' into the discussion of the state, showing how they intersect with questions of 'real' interests (my notion-loosely defined), legitimacy, and power. This will be of immediate interest to political philosophers and normative political theorists who here find arguments as to why such notions might always be partial and illusory.
I removed a star because it is, at times, needlessly complex and could certainly have avoided much of the jargon clogging the pages. It also could use more examples, less sketchily treated to drive home and further demonstrate the book's main claims. This is a very difficult book, densely packed with ideas and terms, but one that will ultimately reward close reading.
Long term students of the state will likely find much to sink their teeth into, whether in terms of future research, new methods or approaches to the states study, or by way of disagreement with Jessop's argument and conclusions. However, as relative newcomer to state theory I'd like to give some thoughts on its value to new students of the state, and particularly to political philosophers and normative political theorists (my own field).
Despite its difficulty, a number of themes appear throughout the book which should be of interest to the three categories just mentioned. To name just a few: (1) the contingent (and always apparent) unity of the state; (2) the contingent nature of the state form; (3) state power as a contextualised, contingent, and multi-faceted outcome of the prevailing balance of forces; (4) the state as an ensemble of institutions; and finally, (5) the role of 'state projects' and the state idea.
The first theme is of value because in much political theory the state is very often treated as simply a unitary actor either with benign or beneficial aims representing the popular will and maintaining the conditions required to flourishing, or as a simple vehicle for domination by a unified interest-group. Jessop's book teaches one to be skeptical of any such assertion and provides the resources to challenge it. Likewise, the second theme cautions against assuming any particular form to the state and that it necessarily has a particular form (usually, simply authoritarian, totalitarian, liberal-democratic, socialist, and so on). Here again, the book cautions against such assumptions, paving way for skepticism towards approaches treating the state as simply a positive or negative phenomenon.
The third theme shows the complex way in which power functions in the state and the myriad ways in which it can be used to dominate various sub-sections of society. Notably, Jessop argues that 'the state does not (and cannot) exercise power' (247). This, like the previous two themes, warns political philosophers against the simple (and very common) assumption that what we are normatively concerned with is the exercise of power by a unified body. Instead, state power is complex, wielded by multiple actors at multiple levels (the fourth theme). This suggests that political philosophy concerned with the justification of state power needs more depth and more real-world analysis of state power to avoid resorting to over-simplified pictures of reality in presenting the case for some normative outcome.
Fifth, and finally, the notion of state projects or state ideas importantly introduces the role of ideas and ideology into the study of the state. Of course, this is not new. However, the significant contribution Jessop makes (and whether this is fairly new, I don't know), is that the idea of the state and the state project must be included in its definition. Further, by means of these concepts Jessop's introduces notions of 'the common good' and 'general will' into the discussion of the state, showing how they intersect with questions of 'real' interests (my notion-loosely defined), legitimacy, and power. This will be of immediate interest to political philosophers and normative political theorists who here find arguments as to why such notions might always be partial and illusory.
I removed a star because it is, at times, needlessly complex and could certainly have avoided much of the jargon clogging the pages. It also could use more examples, less sketchily treated to drive home and further demonstrate the book's main claims. This is a very difficult book, densely packed with ideas and terms, but one that will ultimately reward close reading.
May 18, 2019
Well, I am never going to look at the state in the same way again! This was an excellent book, albeit a challenging read. Bob Jessop is not the most accessible writer, I did struggle to get through, However, the rewards for sticking with it were absolutely worth it. A fairly comprehensive introduction in to the State as an institution.
November 3, 2020
Excelente material com linguagem fluida e simples que faz com que tudo se conecte e o livro pareça ser, ao mesmo tempo, bem menor do que é graças ao estilo, e bem maior do que é graças à quantidade incrível de informações.
Jessop é um dos maiores cientistas da atualidade ao se tratar de Estado e estruturas políticas, não só a partir de suas revisões da literatura até então, como proposições e ligações entre elas e novas hipóteses embasadas na contemporaneidade e novos estudos - sem cair na armadilha do anacronismo histórico e teórico.
Recomendo esse e todos os livros do autor.
Jessop é um dos maiores cientistas da atualidade ao se tratar de Estado e estruturas políticas, não só a partir de suas revisões da literatura até então, como proposições e ligações entre elas e novas hipóteses embasadas na contemporaneidade e novos estudos - sem cair na armadilha do anacronismo histórico e teórico.
Recomendo esse e todos os livros do autor.
September 17, 2022
The style of writing is a bit obtuse and the vocab is sometimes unnecessarily complicated, but Jessop has, over the decades, created what I can only call the best state theory quite literally in the world...to the best of my knowledge.
An absolute must for anyone and everyone interested in the state-read even if it is rather difficult to get through. You will find nothing better anywhere.
An absolute must for anyone and everyone interested in the state-read even if it is rather difficult to get through. You will find nothing better anywhere.
May 22, 2024
Algo complejo y abstracto, pero tiene un enfoque útil
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews