Political Philosophy: All That Matters

All That Matters

by Johanna Oksala

How do we justify authority? What is political philosophy? A philosophical study of political ideas such as authority, freedom, justice and democracy? An inquiry into the best form of government? An attempt to rationally justify forms of authority? Johanna Oksana asks exactly these questions as she opens this brilliant new guide to political philosophy. Rather than attempt to provide a definite answer, the book invites you to recognize many of the issues encountered in everyday life as political, the outcome of human practices that incorporate power relations, social norms and obligations. It suggests that political philosophy should be understood as an open-ended, critical project that to some extent concerns everyone. The book employs an original structure which will be a huge help to both students and general readers seeking to understand the topic. Each chapter, which moves chronologically from antiquity to the twentieth century, focuses on selected classic texts in political philosophy, which are briefly introduced and analyzed. The texts then function as a springboard for a discussion of central contemporary issues in political philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2012

Reviews

[Winda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always thought I know enough about political systems, but reading this book made me realized how little I knew about our current democracy, and how it came about. It also opened my eyes to how fragile democracy is, and how much more work we need to do, to keep it at bay, and ultimately work towards global democracy.

It is essential that we all understand the philosophy behind every different political system before we judge. Also, to think deeply on what "liberty" and "equality" means, rather than just blindly chanting those words, being deluded in a political world created by others - it is our country, our world, therefore, our politics. We need to make sure that nobody is left behind in our effort to improve democracy or we risk triggering a storm nobody is confident to handle, washing away our beloved democracy.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good outline of political philosophy. The short chapters make this book very easy to read on the go.