Political Philosophy
Equality and Excellence in Ancient and Modern Political Philosophy
Interpretations of critically important texts in political philosophy from Greek antiquity to modern times on the tension between human excellence and equality and its possible resolution.
Tradition and the Deliberative Turn
Reframes the discussion of deliberative democracy in a unique fashion, approaching the debate as a historical conversation.
Deconstructive Constitutionalism
Investigates, by way of Derrida's engagements with Kant, how the foundations of modern constitutionalism can be differently conceived to address some of the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Animals in the World
Five innovative essays demonstrating how Aristotle's biology is an integral part of Aristotle's understanding of the universe.
Hobbes and the Democratic Imaginary
A critical interrogation of elements of Hobbes's political and natural philosophy and its capacity to enrich our understanding of the nature of democratic life.
Opining Beauty Itself
Argues that Plato thinks that ordinary people grapple with the Forms and can make epistemological progress, even if they never achieve knowledge.
Plato's Stranger
Meditation on the character of the Eleatic Stranger in Plato's late dialogues, arguing that the prominent place afforded to this foreigner—the other—represents an important philosophical and political legacy regarding the way thought, and life in the community, is understood.
Myth and Authority
Argues that Giambattista Vico's early modern account of Roman mythology was a sophisticated attempt to present an epistemological and political critique of the aristocratic way of conceiving the world.
Full Responsibility
Explores the basic forms of responsibility that we willingly assume and the collaborative fulfillment that we find in each.
Liberating Revolution
Provides a novel conceptual and practical theory of revolution, engaging previous theories of revolution, contemporary continental philosophy, and systems theory.
The Future of the World Is Open
Conversations with prominent Italian feminist thinkers Lea Melandri, Luisa Muraro, and Adriana Cavaero, as well as three essays - appearing in English for the first time - by author, journalist, and renown political figure Rossana Rossanda.
Truth and Politics
Endorses the pursuit of paradigm shifts in our understandings of faith, truth, and nature to remedy the "underside" of modernity and thus to inaugurate a post-modern (but not anti-modern) and post-secular (but not anti-secular) view of the world.
The Shadow of Totalitarianism
Examines the relationship of evil, action, and judgment in the work of Immanuel Kant, Hannah Arendt, and Jean-François Lyotard.
Leo Strauss on Democracy, Technology, and Liberal Education
The first book-length study of Leo Strauss' understanding of the relation between modern democracy, technology, and liberal education.
A Dangerous Passion
Shows the importance of honor for leaders, both as a source of noble ambition to pursue the public good and as dangerous temptation to seek glory through domination.
Seeing with Free Eyes
Examines the ideas of justice in Euripidean tragedy, which reveals the human experience of justice to be paradoxical, and reminds us of the need for humility in our unceasing quest for a just world.
Ummah
Offers the Islamic concept of ummah as an alternative to the nation-state.
Recovering the Liberal Spirit
Develops a theory of spiritual freedom and explores its relationship to problems of liberal political regimes.
The Disintegration of Community
Analysis of this important Mexican philosopher's social, cultural, and political writings.
Contribution to the Correction of the Public's Judgments on the French Revolution
First translation into English of Fichte’s major work on the French Revolution.
Endangered Excellence
A fresh look at Aristotle’s political theory with attention to the resonance of his thought for contemporary concerns.
The Specter of Babel
Presents a new way of thinking about fundamental political concepts such as freedom, justice, and the common good.
Bastard Politics
Argues that we need to reinvent sovereignty as a motive for democratic political action while remaining alert to its dangers, specifically its relationship to violence.
Cosmopolitan Civility
Essays reflecting on the prolific, pioneering, and wide-ranging scholarship of Fred Dallmayr.
On Metaphysical Necessity
Emphasizes the importance of metaphysical necessity to both philosophical theology and, through it, to moral and political theory.
Leo Strauss and the Theopolitics of Culture
This archive-based study of the philosophy of Leo Strauss provides in-depth interpretations of key texts and their larger theoretical contexts.
Conflict in Aristotle's Political Philosophy
Offers a careful analysis of how Aristotle understands civil war, partisanship, distrust in government, disagreement, and competition, and explores ways in which these views are relevant to contemporary political theory.
Friedrich Engels and Modern Social and Political Theory
Offers a powerful new interpretation of Engels’s contributions to modern social and political theory.
Thoughtlessness and Decadence in Iran
Bridges Western and non-Western political thought to address the problem of democracy and political decadance in contemporary Iran and, by implication, similar Islamic societies.
Remnants of Hegel
An original philosophical exploration of the limits of Hegel's thought.
Roberto Esposito
Analyzes key concepts and arguments in the work of one of Europe’s leading philosophers.
Hegel and Right
An especially accessible introduction to Hegel’s moral and political philosophy.
Partial Truths and Our Common Future
Argues that a pluralistic understanding of truth can foster productive conversations about common concerns involving religion, science, ethics, politics, economics, and ecology without falling into relativism.
State Violence and Moral Horror
Explores the concept of "moral horror" as the experience of living amidst unjustifiable state violence.
Whitehead's Religious Thought
Presents the process theistic thought of Whitehead as a third alternative between classical theism and religious skepticism.
Plato's Statesman
Explores the interplay between the dramatic form of the dialogue and the basic themes it addresses.
Entanglements
Presents strikingly original and contemporary answers to the most traditional philosophical problems in epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and political theory.
Freedom from the Free Will
Brings Kafka’s fiction into conversation with philosophy and political theory.
Philosophy, History, and Tyranny
The first comprehensive examination of the debate between Leo Strauss and Alexandre Kojève on the subject of philosophy and tyranny.
Containing Community
Analyzes the role of community in the writings of Giorgio Agamben, Roberto Esposito, and Jean-Luc Nancy.
Contemplating Friendship in Aristotle's Ethics
Examines how Aristotle posits political philosophy and the experience of friendship as a means to bind strictly intellectural virtue with morality.
Leo Strauss, Philosopher
European scholars discuss Leo Strauss as a major figure in the history of philosophy.
Political Theory and the Animal/Human Relationship
Examines how the animal/human divide has influenced power dynamics.
Power
Deepens our understanding of power through a survey of how its dynamics have been understood from ancient times to the present.
Chinese Thought as Global Theory
Using Chinese thought, explores how non-Western thought can structure generally applicable social and political theory.
Principle and Prudence in Western Political Thought
Reflections on principle and prudence in the thoughts and actions of great thinkers and statesmen.
Constitutionalism, Executive Power, and the Spirit of Moderation
Leading scholars and legal practitioners explore constitutional, legal, and philosophical topics.
The Ethics of Democracy
Demonstrates how the ethical underpinning of Hegel’s political and social philosophy has relevance for contemporary democratic life.
Thomas Hobbes
An introduction to Thomas Hobbes as a systematic and not merely political philosopher.
Contemporary Italian Political Philosophy
Highlights and critically assesses the work of contemporary Italian political philosophers.
Machiavelli's Secret
Uncovers clues regarding the inner life of Machiavelli's political leaders.
Honor in Political and Moral Philosophy
Argues for revitalizing the place of honor in contemporary life.
Leo Strauss on the Borders of Judaism, Philosophy, and History
Explores how the thought of Leo Strauss amounts to a model for thinking about the connection between philosophy, Jewish thought, and history.
The Political Philosophy of Francis Bacon
An ambitious and radically original reading of philosopher Francis Bacon.
The Sophists in Plato's Dialogues
Draws out numerous affinities between the sophists and Socrates in Plato's dialogues.
Res Publica
Analysis of Plato’s influence on the political thinking of Kant, Hegel, and Fichte.
The Political Theory of Aristophanes
Examines the political dimensions of Aristophanes’ comic poetry.
The Laws of the Spirit
An account of Hegel's political insights and their contemporary relevance.
Leo Strauss and the Crisis of Rationalism
Examines the German and Jewish sources of Strauss's thought and the extent to which his philosophy can shed light on the crisis of liberal democracy.
After Leo Strauss
Proposes a post-Straussian reading of Plato to advance a reconciliation of ancient and modern theories of natural right.
Progressive Minds, Conservative Politics
Compelling account of Strauss's mature Maimonidean writings.
In the Spirit of Critique
Offers a new perspective on the political significance of the Hegelian dialectical legacy.
Catastrophe and Redemption
Offers a striking new reading of Agamben’s political thought and its implications for political action in the present.
Wonder and Generosity
A compelling understanding of equality and difference in public life.
On the Ethics of Torture
A detailed, clear, and comprehensive overview of the current philosophical debate on toture.
The Lockean Commonwealth
Timely reappraisal of John Locke’s thoughts on the clash between executive emergency power and the importance of the rule of law.
The Democratic Ideal and the Shoah
An original and revolutionary interpretation of the Jews’ destiny in modern politics.
Democracy as Culture
Explores the significance of Dewey’s thought on democracy for the contemporary world.
City of Rhetoric
Examines the relationship of civic discourse to built environments through a case study of the Cabrini Green urban revitalization project in Chicago.
Deliberative Freedom
The first sustained look at the relationship between deliberative democratic theory and the topic of freedom.
The Illusion of Freedom and Equality
Explores how Enlightenment values have been transformed in a technological civilization.
Toward a Political Philosophy of Race
Examines how liberal society enables racism and other forms of discrimination.
The Ends of Solidarity
An in-depth look at the theory of solidarity of German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, serving also as a comprehensive introduction to his work.
Justice and Law
A collection of essays on contemporary issues in justice and law.
Against the State
Irreverent and incisive critique of liberal theories of the state.
Philosophy and the City
The definitive source book on philosophy and the city.
The Promise of Memory
Argues for a closer connection between memories of injustice and promises of justice as a means to overcome violence.
The History of the Sevarambians
One of the great utopian novels of the early modern period.
The Step Back
Explores the ethical and political possibilities of philosophy after deconstruction.
Confucian Democracy
Using both Confucian texts and the work of American pragmatist John Dewey, this book offers a distinctly Confucian model of democracy.
The Micro-Politics of Capital
Re-reads Marx in light of the contemporary critical interrogation of subjectivity.
Justice for All
Collection of essays adapted from an undergraduate honors conference held at Binghamton University which address contemporary issues in political philosophy.
Liberty, Rationality, and Agency in Hobbes's Leviathan
A new interpretation of the theory of Hobbes.
Beyond Liberalism and Communitarianism
Reflects new advances in Hegel scholarship and demonstrates the contemporary relevance of the Philosophy of Right.
The Tragedy of Liberalism
A defense of liberalism, understood as a perfectionist doctrine that presupposes an ideal but controversial notion of human well-being.
Politics in the impasse
Develops a radical politics of community that engages with practical issues such as the Gulf War and the 1992 uprisings in Los Angeles, set against the context of postmodern capitalism.
Science without Myth
This philosophical introduction to and discussion of social and political studies of science argues that scientific knowledge is socially constructed.
Reason, History, and Politics
The author shows that conceptions of rationality in current theories of science and law can account for neither the legitimacy of paradigm shifts nor the communitarian integrity internal to paradigms generally. He proposes an alternative conception of rationality that does.
The Meaning of Religious Freedom
This is the most thorough philosophical analysis available of the principle of religious freedom. It draws on the thought of philosophers and political theorists (Rawls, Habermas, Murray, Rorty, Greenawalt, and Mead) rather than on the framers of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Problems of Style
This is a unification of Michel Foucault's thought as a systematic epistemological project. Privitera shows that the method and unity of Foucault's writings can only be seen by examining their origins ...
The Political Thought of Hannah Arendt
By turns radical and conservative, Hannah Arendt's work confounds the usual categories and defies conventional expectations. This book provides a comprehensive analytical and developmental study of the ...
A Discourse on Disenchantment
This book is the first full-length study of the ongoing debate over the status of our "disenchanted" world—a world stripped of mysterious and supernatural forces by the demythologizing power of reason ...
Modernity and Authenticity
This study on the contemporary relevance of Rousseau's ethical and social thought, the "ethic of authenticity," responds to the tensions of modern morality and rivals the answers generated by the more ...