Political Philosophy in the Twentieth Century: Authors and Arguments

Description

This book demonstrates the rich diversity and depth of political philosophy in the twentieth century. Catherine H. Zuckert has compiled a collection of essays recounting the lives of political theorists, connecting each biography with the theorist's life work and explaining the significance of the contribution to modern political thought. The essays are organized to highlight the major political alternatives and approaches. Beginning with essays on John Dewey, Carl Schmitt and Antonio Gramsci, representing the three main political alternatives - liberal, fascist and communist - at mid-century, the book proceeds to consider the lives and works of emigres such as Hannah Arendt, Eric Voegelin, and Leo Strauss, who brought a continental perspective to the United States after World War II. The second half of the collection contains essays on recent defenders of liberalism, such as Friedrich Hayek, Isaiah Berlin and John Rawls and liberalism's many critics, including Michel Foucault, Jurgen Habermas and Alasdair MacIntyre.

Catherine H. Zuckert is currently a Professor of Political Science as well as the editor-in-chief of The Review of Politics, at the University of Notre Dame. She has written several books, including Plato's Philosophers: The Coherence of the Dialogues. Her books have won several awards, including: the R. R. Hawkins award for the Best Scholarly and Professional Book published in 2009; PROSE awards for the best book in philosophy and excellence in the humanities and the PSP award for the Best Book in Philosophy and Religion in 1990. Zuckert has had articles published in Political Theory, The Journal of Politics, History of Political Thought, The Review of Politics, Philosophy and Rhetoric, Epoche, Review of Metaphysics, Polity, Interpretation, and The Claremont Review of Books.

'This book provides a valuable alternative perspective on the development of contemporary political philosophy.' The Times Higher Education Supplement 'This collection of essays provides an overview of the work and lives of eighteen thinkers who made significant contributions to the development of political philosophy in the last century...Zuckert's volume deserves a wide readership to help us acquire a better sense of the discipline's past, keeping the post-Rawlsian achievement in perspective.' Philosophy in Review