Contemporary Political Theory

Contemporary Political Theory is a foundation textbook in political thought.

Colin Farrelly's central objective in writing this introductory text is to demonstrate to students the practical relevance of contemporary theoretical debates to everyday issues in policy creation and implementation and politics.

Until recently, discussions of compromise have been largely absent in political theory. However, political theorists have become increasingly interested in understanding the practice and justification of compromise in politics. This interest is connected to the increased concern with pluralism and disagreement. Compromise and Disagreement in Contemporary Political Theory provides a critical discussion of when and to what extent compromise is the best response to pluralism and disagreement in democratic decision-making and beyond. Christian F. Rostbøll and Theresa Scavenius draw together the work of ten established and emerging scholars to provide different perspectives on compromise. Organized into four parts, the book begins by discussing the justification and limits of compromise. Part 2 discusses the practice of compromise and considers the ethics required for compromise as well as the institutions that facilitate compromise. Part 3 focuses on pluralism and connects the topic of compromise to current discussions in political theory on public reason, political liberalism, and respect for diversity. Part 4 discusses different challenges to compromise in the context of the current political environment. The book will be of interest to a wide range of scholars in the social sciences, philosophy, and law. It will be useful in introducing scholars to a variety of approaches to compromise and as readings for graduate courses in political theory and political philosophy, ethics, the history of ideas, and the philosophy of law.

This student textbook introduces the concept of political theory from various viewpoints, such as justice and the law, government and the state, and equality and human rights. It analyzes the concepts of power, liberty and a series of political principles.

`Colin Farrelly has gathered together in one volume several of the key texts that have shaped recent developments in political theory. The structure of the book reflects that of many courses offering surveys of recent debates between liberals and their critics. It is an excellent teaching resource' - Shane O'Neill, Queen's University, Belfast `An excellent selection of key pieces that have shaped the debates that dominate contemporary political philosophy. Each section is prefaced with a clear and insightful introduction which gives a valuable commentary on each piece, sets it in its context, and indicates its influence on the field. This book will be a very useful resource for students of these debates from all backgrounds' - Catriona McKinnon, University of York Contemporary Political Theory provides an accessible introduction to the key works of major contemporary political theorists. Key theorists and writers include John Rawls, Robert Nozick, Michael Walzer, Michael Sandel, Susan Okin, Will Kymlicka, Iris Marion Young, Charles Taylor, Nancy Fraser and John Dryzek. The readings are organized thematically into seven sections on egalitarian-liberalism, libertarianism, communitarianism, republicanism, feminism, deliberative democracy, and multiculturalism. A substantial introduction is provided to each to identify the main issues and the significance of the carefully selected excerpts that follow. The result is a complete but concise guide through the literature and major topics and areas of debate in contemporary political theory and political philosophy. Colin Farrelly is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Contemporary Political Theory: A Reader will complement his textbook Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory also published by SAGE Publications.

Intended as a text for the postgraduate students of political science, this well-researched book attempts to track the evolution of political ideas in the recent past and their background. It brings out the contemporary epistemological and methodological debates within the discipline and social sciences as a whole, and incorporates the latest developments in the field. Divided into forty chapters under eleven parts, the book deals with the core concepts and debates in political theory, and focuses on the state-society interactions. It tries to explain how the states, societies and cultures have responded to the emerging challenges thrown up by the social, economic and political factors, and the direction of the response. It also dwells on the impact of globalisation on current trends. Finally, the book analyses the ideas of modern Indian thinkers such as V.D. Savarkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Ram Manohar Lohia, B.R. Ambedkar and Jayaprakash Narayan. Besides the postgraduate students of political science, the book would also be useful to the aspirants of civil services examinations and the initiated readers.