Political Science

[close] This is the bookclub for www.reddit.com/r/irstudies

[close] As the author of recently published The Trouble With China, this group is to interact with readers and authors. While China has a claimed history of 5000 years and is probably the world’s oldest nation, the culture has affected modern history, as well as present-day events. My book explains how it affects the present day, with a lot of analysis of how society relates to the best-known recent events such as the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square massacre. The Trouble With China informs readers how those events, and others, have influenced aspects of modern China from the point of view of ordinary citizens, including how and why. Furthermore, there is also an affiliated reference site: www.thetroublewithchina.com.

[close] Study and discussion of the important questions of ethical and political philosophy from Confucius and Socrates to the present. Rules (see also the Rules and Housekeeping topic): Subject to copyright law and these rules, posters may cite, link, or quote any publication, including their own. Posts linking to outside sources must contain a brief explanation of the nature of the linked material and, unless obvious, how it is relevant to the topic being discussed. All posts and linked material must be in English. Posts and any linked material should be polite and not degenerate into ad hominem attacks. The purpose here is to seek light, not heat—rational discourse, not shouting matches. Leave your cable news persona at home and put on your philosopher's mantle when entering this group. Rational argumentation and Socratic questioning are welcome. Hectoring, intimidation, insult, and presumptuous condescension toward other group members are cause for immediate removal from the group. Internet "trolls," advocates of violence, and posters failing to comply with these rules will be removed from membership, as will posters who persist in raising issues that are outside the scope of the subject matter of this group. New members may introduce themselves in the New Member Introductions topic. See posts 4-5 here regarding the creation of new topics. Photo credit: Socrates sculpture at Louvre (CherryX per Wikimedia Commons [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

[close] This is a group for all those who love reading, and learning, about the current state of Russia, both political and social. It is also for people, like me, who are fascinated by Vladimir Putin and his rule and cannot put a book about Russian politics down. If you fit the bill, get involved with discussions, reviews, and general chat.