Social and political philosophy Books

Book SynopsisTransgenderism in the twenty-first century is patriarchy emblazoned in imperial form. At a time when supposedly enlightened attitudes are championed by the mainstream, philosopher and activist Heather Brunskell-Evans shows how, in plain view under the guise of liberalism, a regressive men’s rights movement is posing a massive threat to the human rights of women and children everywhere. This movement is transgender politics which, while spouting platitudes about equality, is in reality colonising and erasing the bodies, agency and autonomy of women and children, while asserting men’s rights to bodily intrusion into every social and personal space. The transgender agenda redefines diversity and inclusion utilising the language of victimhood. In a complete reversal of feminist gender critical analyses, sex and gender are redefined: identity is now called ‘innate’ (a ‘feeling’ located somewhere in the body) and biological sex is said to be socially constructed (and hence changeable). This ensures a lifetime of drug dependency for transitioners, thereby delivering vast profits for Big Pharma in a capitalist dream. Everyone, including every trans person, has the right to live freely without discrimination. But the transgender movement has been hijacked by misogynists who are appropriating and inverting the struggles of feminism to deliver an agenda devoid of feminist principles. In a chilling twist, when feminists critique the patriarchal status quo it is now they who are alleged to be extremists for not allowing men’s interests to control the political narrative. Institutions whose purpose is to defend human rights now interpret truth speech as hate speech, and endorse the no-platforming of women as ethical. This brave, truthful and eye-opening book does not shirk from the challenge of meeting the politics of liberalism and transgender rights head on. Everyone who cares about the future of women’s and children’s rights must read it.Table of ContentsPrologue My raised consciousness Chapter One: Women's bodies 1.1 What is a Woman? Women with Penises: Queer Theory Transwomen are women: Get over it Affirmative psychology: A man is a woman if he says he is 1.2 Shaming Gender Critical Feminists Intersectional feminism 1.3 A Woman Is an Adult Human Female Women’s bodies and binary sex Pregnancy and reproduction Pregnant men Reclaiming biology Gender neutrality Lesbians: Same-sex attraction or 'lesbians' with penises? Lesbians are adult human females Patriarchy Chapter Two: Girls’ Bodies 2.1 The ‘Transboy’ Trans affirmative psychotherapy A girl is a boy if she says she is The ‘transboy’ and ‘his’ body: Hormone therapy The ‘transboy’s’ existential ‘choice’ to use hormone treatment 2.2 A Girl Is a Young Human Female Sex/Gender Clinical psychology Muzzling dissent 2.3 The Sacrificial ‘Transboy’ The iatrogenic ‘transboy’ The body De-transitioners: Kiera Bell Chapter Three: The Body Politic 3.1 Queering the law and social policy The Gender Recognition Act 2004 ‘Feminist’ politicians speak with one voice The erosion of single-sex spaces A Woman’s Place is standing her ground 3.2 The Trans Human Rights Paradigm Women’s prisons The case of Karen White The authoritarian left: the case of the Labour Party Intersectionalist Feminism 3.3 The Transgender Empire Sex matters Diversity and exclusion Declaration on women’s sex-based rights The Butlerian jihad Power, medicine and the law Resistance Epilogue References Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisContemporary life is defined by excess. There must always be more, there is never enough. We need a surplus to what we need to be able to truly enjoy what we have. Slavoj Žižek's guide to surplus (and why it's enjoyable) begins by arguing that what is surplus to our needs is by its very nature unsubstantial and unnecessary. But, perversely, without this surplus, we wouldn't be able to enjoy, what is substantial and necessary. Indeed, without the surplus we wouldn't be able to identify what was the perfect amount. Is there any escape from the vicious cycle of surplus enjoyment or are we forever doomed to simply want more? Engaging with everything from The Joker film to pop songs and Thomas Aquinas to the history of pandemics, Žižek argues that recognising the society of enjoyment we live in for what it is can provide an explanation for the political impasses in which we find ourselves today. And if we begin, even a little bit, to recognise that the nuggets of enTrade Review[Žižek] could never be as dull a writer. He is a great caller of things stupid, which is a skill too little practised in a world dedicated to avoiding offence. But he also has genuine enthusiasms that constantly surprise the reader, such as a brilliant few pages on Shostakovich and, later, on the film Joker … Žižek is at heart really a close reader and a seriously inventive one. * The Spectator *Surplus-Enjoyment is the author at his most supple, addressing urgent current concerns and the need for a global solidarity that cannot be divorced from egalitarianism. ... Zizek is a pick-me-up for fatigued brains, a true radical and an authentic left-wing conservative who wants to prevent the social disintegration that threatens our civic life. * The Prisma: The Multicultural Newspaper *Table of ContentsOuverture: Living In A Topsy-Turvy World 1. Where Is The Rift? Marx, Capitalism, And Ecology 2. A Non-binary Difference? Psychoanalysis, Politics, And Philosophy 3. Surplus-Enjoyment, Or, Why Do We Enjoy Our Oppression Finale: Subjective Destitution As A Political Category Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Automatic Fetish traces Marx’s analysis of capital, step by step, through the material compiled posthumously as the third volume of Capital. Identifying the critique of value as the central through line of the entire work, Beverley Best elaborates a theory of movement through which the capital machine generates social forms of appearance as the inversion of its inner operating mechanisms. Neither a return to basics nor a new-fangled reconstruction, The Automatic Fetish eschews novelty to show once again that Marx rewards careful study.- ‘If I had to choose one book that would make the case for the relevance of Marx’s critique of political economy to the humanities, this might very well be it’ Colleen Lye, co-editor of After Marx- ‘The contribution of The Automatic Fetish is hard to exaggerate’ Nicholas Brown, author of Autonomy- ‘Will make a significant contribution to the wid

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"How to Think About War will have a broad appeal to academics in the fields of classics, history, and political science, as well as to professional foreign policy analysts, political thinkers, and military strategists . . . . Hanink has produced a noteworthy resource that introduces the reader to the principal debates in warfare and foreign policy, both ancient and modern."---Nicholas D. Cross, Bryn Mawr Classical Review"[In How to Think About War] we find shrewd observations on current events (in this case, the Peloponnesian War) matched with a taste for strategic prudence in dealing with adversaries. These insights illuminate some of the history that Santayana supposed we’re prone to repeat through ignorance."---Tracy Lee Simmons, City Journal"[An] innovative translation. . . . With How to Think about War, students . . . see key speeches set chronologically and in contrast to one another, avoiding an entirely one-dimensional takeaway . . . Hanink’s translation provides a worthwhile addition to the ongoing dialogue inspired by Thucydides."---MAJ Kerney M. Perlik, US Army War College Quarterly"[Hanink’s] vivid translations and thoughtful notes furnish a delightful entry point for one wishing to wrestle with some of the most studied, and still relevant, passages of Greek literature. [Her] rendition of Thucydides’ notoriously difficult prose is effective and will appeal to the Thucydidean neophyte."---Matthew Sears, Classical Review

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Book SynopsisMax Stirner’s The Unique and Its Property (1844) is the first ruthless critique of modern society. In All Things are Nothing to Me, Jacob Blumenfeld reconstructs the unique philosophy of Max Stirner (1806–1856), a figure that strongly influenced—for better or worse—Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Emma Goldman as well as numerous anarchists, feminists, surrealists, illegalists, existentialists, fascists, libertarians, dadaists, situationists, insurrectionists and nihilists of the last two centuries. Misunderstood, dismissed, and defamed, Stirner’s work is considered by some to be the worst book ever written. It combines the worst elements of philosophy, politics, history, psychology, and morality, and ties it all together with simple tautologies, fancy rhetoric, and militant declarations. That is the glory of Max Stirner’s unique footprint in the history of philosophy. Jacob Blumenfeld wanted to exhume this dead tome along with its dead philosopher, but discovered instead that, rather than deceased, their spirits are alive and quite well, floating in our presence. All Things are Nothing to Me is a forensic investigation into how Stirner has stayed alive throughout time.

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Book SynopsisNot a day goes by without a new story on the perils of technology: from increasingly clever machines that surpass human capability and comprehension to genetic technologies capable of altering the human genome in ways we cannot predict. How can we respond? What should we do politically? Focusing on the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), and the impact of new reproductive and genetic technologies (Repro-tech), Jude Browne questions who has political responsibility for the structural impacts of these technologies and how we might go about preparing for the far-reaching societal changes they may bring. This thought-provoking book tackles some of the most pressing issues of our time and offers a compelling vision for how we can respond to these challenges in a way that is both politically feasible and socially responsible.

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Book Synopsis''I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it'' This slogan, attributed to Voltaire, is frequently quoted by defenders of free speech. Yet it is rare to find anyone prepared to defend all expression in every circumstance, especially if the views expressed incite violence. So where do the limits lie? What is the real value of free speech? Here, Nigel Warburton offers a concise guide to important questions facing modern society about the value and limits of free speech: Where should a civilized society draw the line? Should we be free to offend other people''s religion? Are there good grounds for censoring pornography? Has the Internet changed everything? This Very Short Introduction is a thought-provoking, accessible, and up-to-date examination of the liberal assumption that free speech is worth preserving at any cost. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewThe genius of Nigel Warburton's Free Speech lies not only in its extraordinary clarity and incisiveness. Just as important is the way Warburton addresses freedom of speech - and attempts to stifle it - as an issue for the 21st century. More than ever, we need this book. * Denis Dutton, University of Canterbury, New Zealand *Crisp, clear and astute, this is a thought-provoking introduction to one of the most hotly contested questions of our time. * Lisa Appignanesi, President English PEN *Table of Contents1. Free Speech ; 2. A Free Market in Ideas? ; 3. Giving and Taking Offence ; 4. Censoring Pornography ; 5. Free Speech in the Age of the Internet ; 6. Conclusion: The Future of Free Speech

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of Zocalo's 10 Favorite Books of 2016 "Brennan has a bright, pugilistic style, and he takes a sportsman's pleasure in upsetting pieties and demolishing weak logic. Voting rights may happen to signify human dignity to us, he writes, but corpse-eating once signified respect for the dead among the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea. To him, our faith in the ennobling power of political debate is no more well grounded than the supposition that college fraternities build character."--Caleb Crain,New Yorker "A brash, well-argued diatribe against the democratic system. There is much to mull over in this brazen stab at the American electoral process... [I]n the current toxic partisan climate, Brennan's polemic is as worth weighing as any other."--Kirkus Reviews "A brash, well-argued diatribe against the democratic system. There is much to mull over in this brazen stab at the American electoral process... Sure to cause howls of disagreement, but in the current toxic partisan climate, Brennan's polemic is as worth weighing as any other."--Kirkus "Important."--Ilya Somin, Washington Post Volokh Conspiracy "Against Democracychallenges a basic precept that most people take for granted: the morality of democracy... Brennan presents a variety of strategies by which the quality of the electorate could be improved, while still keeping it large, and demographically representative... [A] powerful challenge to the conventional wisdom about democracy... [W]orth serious consideration."--Ilya Somin, Washington Post "Compelling... This is theory that skips, rather than plods."--Los Angeles Times "The book makes compelling reading for what is typically a dry area of discourse. This is theory that skips, rather than plods."--Molly Sauter, Los Angeles Times "Among the best works in political philosophy in recent memory."--Zachary Woodman, Students for Liberty "Challenging and insightful."--Alexander William Salter, Public Choice "Lucidly written in provocative, sometimes brash tones, it is especially useful for the undergraduate classroom."--Choice "Against Democracy seems scarily prescient today. Writing well before the twin shocks of the Brexit and the U.S. elections, the Georgetown political scientist makes a powerful case that popular democracy can be dangerous--and, provocatively, that irrational and incompetent voters should be excluded from democratic decision-making. The case for elitism in governance never read so well."--Zocalo Public Square "Meticulous [and] crisply written."--Tom Clark, Prospect "Mercilessly well-argued."--Niko Kolodny, Boston Review

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Book SynopsisContemporary life is defined by excess. There must always be more, there is never enough. We need a surplus to what we need to be able to truly enjoy what we have. Slavoj Žižek's guide to surplus (and why it's enjoyable) begins by arguing that what is surplus to our needs is by its very nature unsubstantial and unnecessary. But, perversely, without this surplus, we wouldn't be able to enjoy what is substantial and necessary. Indeed, without the surplus we wouldn't be able to identify what was the perfect amount. Is there any escape from the vicious cycle of surplus enjoyment or are we forever doomed to simply want more? Engaging with everything from The Joker film to pop songs and Thomas Aquinas to the history of pandemics, Žižek argues that recognising the society of enjoyment we live in for what it is can provide an explanation for the political impasses in which we find ourselves today. And if we begin, even a little bit, to recognise that the nuggets of enjTrade Review[Žižek] could never be as dull a writer. He is a great caller of things stupid, which is a skill too little practised in a world dedicated to avoiding offence. But he also has genuine enthusiasms that constantly surprise the reader, such as a brilliant few pages on Shostakovich and, later, on the film Joker … Žižek is at heart really a close reader and a seriously inventive one. * The Spectator *Surplus-Enjoyment is the author at his most supple, addressing urgent current concerns and the need for a global solidarity that cannot be divorced from egalitarianism. ... Zizek is a pick-me-up for fatigued brains, a true radical and an authentic left-wing conservative who wants to prevent the social disintegration that threatens our civic life. * The Prisma: The Multicultural Newspaper *Table of ContentsOuverture: Living In A Topsy-Turvy World 1. Where Is The Rift? Marx, Capitalism, And Ecology 2. A Non-binary Difference? Psychoanalysis, Politics, And Philosophy 3. Surplus-Enjoyment, Or, Why Do We Enjoy Our Oppression Finale: Subjective Destitution As A Political Category Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA critique of liberal rights exposing the paradox between 'good' capitalism and the reality of its actions.Trade Review'The book many of us have been waiting for - brilliant, radical, and essential thinking for our times.' -- Aziz Choudry, Canada Research Chair in Social Movement Learning and Knowledge Production, McGill University'A brilliant interrogation of the powerful hold the concept of rights has over social movements ... An absolute must read for everybody concerned with rights as a means for realising justice' -- Sunera Thobani, Asian Studies/Critical Race Feminist Studies, University of British Columbia'This persuasively written book helps us to trace the location of rights in capitalism and imperialism' -- Shahrzad Mojab, Professor in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, University of Toronto, and co-author of Revolutionary Learning (Pluto, 2017)Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Abbreviations Preface Part I: The Rights Resurgence 1. Social Movements, Law and Liberal Imaginations 2. What’s Wrong With Rights? 3. Rights in the ‘Epoch of Imperialism’ Part II: Re-Scripting Rights 4. International Election Monitoring: From ‘Will of the People’ to the ‘Right to Free and Fair Elections’ 5. The Rights of Victims: From Authorisation to Accountability 6. Intangible Property Rights: The IMF as Underwriters 7. Rights in International Neoliberal Risk-Governance Regime Part III: Concluding Reflections 8. Rights and Social Movements in the ‘Epoch of Imperialism' Postscript Notes Index

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Book SynopsisOne World Now seamlessly integrates major developments of the past decade into Peter Singer's classic text on the ethics of globalizationTrade Review"This is a valuable update to a book that excels at examining competing solutions for some of the world’s critical economic, environmental, and political problems."—David A. Rezvani, Dartmouth College"One World is an instructive book, especially for American students wrestling with America’s poor record as a global citizen. However unpleasant this may be, awareness of the reality is a necessary condition for young people to want to get involved to change things for the better."—David Hoinski, West Virginia University"As someone who uses this book and some of its details for teaching, I greatly welcome the updated data and evidence. I am not aware of other books on this subject that are accessible to general readers."—Linda Dynan, Northern Kentucky University"Peter Singer writes, as always, lucidly and with relentless logic. Getting states to behave ethically is a heroic aspiration, but this book will give even the most obdurate realist much to think about."–Gareth Evans, Past President, International Crisis Group, former Australian Foreign Minister"Peter Singer may be the most controversial philosopher alive; he is certainly among the most influential."—New Yorker (on the earlier edition)

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Book SynopsisWith a new foreword by Paul Kelly 'I regard Hayek's work as a new opening of the most fundamental debate in the field of political philosophy' â Sir Karl Popper 'This promises to be the crowning work of a scholar who has devoted a lifetime to thinking about society and its values. The entire work must surely amount to an immense contribution to social and legal philosophy' - Philosophical Studies Law, Legislation and Liberty is Hayek's major statement of political philosophy and one of the most ambitious yet subtle defences of a free market society ever written. A robust defence of individual liberty, it is also crucial for understanding Hayekâs influential views concerning the role of the state: far from being an innocent bystander, he argues that the state has an important role to play in defending the norms and practices of an ordered and free society. His arguments had a profound iTable of ContentsForeword to the Routledge Classics Edition Consolidated Preface Introduction Volume I Rules and Order 1.Reason and Evolution 2. Cosmos and Taxis 3. Principles and Expediency 4. The Changing Concept of Law 5. Nomos: The Law of Liberty 6. Thesis: The Law of Legislation Notes Volume 2 The Mirage of Social Justice 7. General Welfare and Particular Purposes 8. The Quest for Justice 9. 'Social’ or Distributive Justice 10. The Market Order or Catallaxy 11. The Discipline of Abstract Rules and the Emotions of the Tribal Society Notes Volume 3 The Political Order of a Free People 12. Majority Opinion and Contemporary Democracy 13. The Division of Democratic Powers 14. The Public Sector and the Private Sector 15. Government Policy and the Market 16. The Miscarriage of the Democratic Ideal: A Recapitualation 17. A Model Constitution 18. The Containment of Power and the Dethronement of Politics Epilogue: The Three Sources of Human Values Notes Index of Authors cited in Volumes 1-3 Subject index to Volumes 1-3

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Book SynopsisDavid Wootton guides us through four centuries of Western thought to show how new ideas about politics, ethics, and economics stepped into a gap opened up by religious conflict and the Scientific Revolution. As ideas about godliness and Aristotelian virtue faded, theories about the rational pursuit of power, pleasure, and profit moved to the fore.Trade ReviewExplains how European thought came to abandon the old virtues and accept the ‘selfish system’ of utility…Wootton explicates complex social and political theories with admirable lucidity. -- Jeffrey Collins * Wall Street Journal *More relevant to our current political and cultural circumstance than any other I’ve read in the last four years…Truly wonderful. -- Lewis Lapham * The World in Time *Wootton presents the conceptual shift that gave birth to our life today in a book that is ambitious and impressive in its sweep…A gripping story of how ideas can change the world. -- John Gray * New Statesman *Wootton does not wish to take sides in the controversy between detractors and defenders of the Enlightenment: his purpose is rather to retrace the emergence of the intellectual and cultural revolution that radically transformed modern Western societies… Power, Pleasure, and Profit is an erudite book, full of learned asides. * Times Literary Supplement *This is decidedly not a traditional history of the Enlightenment as a philosophical or political project…Wootton’s Enlightenment ushered in a moral universe of unstoppable excess—one in which the pursuit of power, pleasure, and profit had no limit, for individuals or for societies…An unusual but fascinating foray into all the great themes of moral and political philosophy, from happiness to politics to commerce to love. -- James Chappel * Commonweal *His erudition is impressive and his range of inquiry is vast… Wootton traces the development of three interrelated notions that together, in his view, displaced the moral and religious inheritance bequeathed by classicism and Christianity. -- Darrin M. McMahon * Literary Review *Gripping…A fascinating story…The Enlightenment spawned a series of assumptions about what human beings are, why they do what they do, and what the good life looks like. We’re still hostage to those assumptions, whether we know it or not, and Wootton’s book asks us to consider the consequences. -- Sean Illing * Vox *In the brilliant, penetrating and amazingly erudite study by David Wootton…readers are treated to an engaging tour of the ‘Enlightenment paradigm’ gaining in the process a more profound understanding of our modern political economy and ethical situation…This book is essential reading for understanding the climate in which we still live and which is exported worldwide through neoliberalism and globalization. -- David Lorimer * Wall Street International *A work of exceptional merit. Wootton is one of the best intellectual historians in the Anglo-American world today. -- Steven Smith, Yale UniversityIn this deliciously written, stunningly erudite, and enchantingly combative book, one of our most free-spirited and original intellectual historians has helped us see the roots of the Enlightenment and thus our contemporary world with entirely new eyes. -- Stephen Holmes, New York UniversityFull of spirited engagement, Wootton’s writing exemplifies iconoclasm, imagination, and verve. -- Christopher Brooke, University of CambridgeWootton’s notion of modest, practical Aristoteilian-esque virtue in the face of limitless appetite is a compelling one, and he stakes his claims methodically and persuasively. -- Nicholas Cannariato * The Millions *Through the writings of great thinkers, Wootton describes the birth of a new concept of human nature during the years 1500 to 1800… Wootton demonstrates a consistent ability to make complex intellectual ideas approachable… A surprisingly lucid examination of a dramatic revolution in human thought. * Kirkus Reviews *Valuable as a wide-ranging…investigation into the philosophical revolution that made the modern Western world. * American Conservative *Erudite…Raises a number of timely ethical and historical questions for a world where the limitless pursuit of power and pleasure appears increasingly unsustainable. -- Anton M. Matytsin * Journal of Modern History *Engaging…The idea that we are driven by our remorseless quest for power, pleasure, and profit, Wootton argues, has come to dominate Western conceptions of politics and economics since the time of Niccolò Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, and Adam Smith, and has largely replaced previously important theories of Christian morality and Aristotelian ethics…A pleasure to read. -- K. Steven Vincent * European Legacy *

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Book SynopsisDavid Graeber was not only one of today’s most important living thinkers, but also one of the most influential. He was also one of the very few engaged intellectuals who has a proven track record of effective militancy on a world scale, and his impact on the international left cannot be overstated. Graeber has offered up perhaps the most credible path for exiting capitalism—as much through his writing about debt, bureaucracy, or “bullshit jobs” as through his crucial involvement in the Occupy Wall Street movement, which led to his more-or-less involuntary exile from the American academy. In short, Anarchy—In a Manner of Speaking presents a series of interviews with a first-rate intellectual, a veritable modern hero on the order of Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Linus Torvald, Aaron Swartz, and Elon Musk. Interviewers Mehdi Belhaj Kacem and Assia Turquier-Zauberman asked Graeber not only about the history of anarchy, but also about its contemporary relevance and future. Their conversation also explores the ties between anthropology and anarchism, and the traces of its DNA in the Occupy Wall Street and Yellow Vest movements. Finally, Graeber discussed the meaning of anarchist ethics—not only in the political realm, but also in terms of art, love, sexuality, and more. With astonishing humor, verve, and erudition, this book redefines the contours of what could be (in the words of Peter Kropotkin) “anarchist morality” today.

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Book SynopsisThe publication of For Marx and Reading Capital established Louis Althusser as one of the most influential figures in the Western Marxist tradition. On Ideology charts Althusser's critique of the theoretical system unveiled in his own major works, and his developing practice of philosophy as a "revolutionary weapon."Trade ReviewOne reads him with excitement. There is no mystery about his capacity to inspire the intelligent young. -- Eric HobsbawmAlthusser traversed so many lives-so many personal, historical, philosophical and political adventures; marked, inflected, influenced so many discourses, actions and existences by the radiant and provocative force of his thought-that the most diverse and contradictory accounts could never exhaust their source. -- Jacques Derrida

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of the Financial Times' Best Books of 2020: Politics""One of Kirkus Reviews Best Big-Picture History Books of 2020""A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice""A NRC Book of the Year""A truly magisterial survey of the thought and actions of conservatives in Britain, France, Germany and the United States. . . . It’s a tour de force of intellectual eclecticism, and a vital recognition that the war within conservatism matters."---Andrew Sullivan, New York Times Book Review"A valuable wide-lens perspective on currents that have been at play for decades if not centuries."---Greg Cowles, New York Times Book Review"Invaluable."---Paul Rosenberg, Salon"Enriching and worth reading."---Jacob Soll, New Republic"[An] epic history of conservatism."---John Prideaux, The Economist"This book is a stimulating read, benefiting from the author’s clarity of style, breadth of historical knowledge and decision to place conservative thinkers from each period of history alongside political practitioners."---William Hague, The Spectator"The chief virtue of Fawcett’s rich and wide-ranging account is to demonstrate how conservatism has repeatedly managed to renew itself, politically and intellectually. The conservative tradition is a remarkably fecund one. For both its supporters and opponents, that is a truth worth rescuing."---Nick Pearce, Financial Times"Members of both [liberalism and conservatism] thought-categories will find much to learn from both books, not least from the historical figures Mr. Fawcett brings into view."---William Anthony Hay, Wall Street Journal"[A] magisterial history. . . . Perhaps the most comprehensive view of ‘the conservative mind’ since Russell Kirk’s book (1953) of that title. . . . One of the fairest accounts of the conservative intellectual tradition to be published in recent years."---Gerald J. Russello, National Review"Fawcett, a veteran Economist journalist who describes himself as a left-wing liberal, seeks to understand conservatism as a historical phenomenon. He surveys political practice and political thought in Britain, the US, France and Germany since 1800, with authority and perspective."---Jonathan Parry, London Review of Books"An ambitious book with lucid accounts of a wide range of thinkers and some practitioners."---David Willetts, Prospect"The honest struggle of a thoughtful liberal to understand the enemy gives the book its strength, vitality and structure. . . . [A] compelling, lucid and learned work."---Richard Cockett, The Critic"The author of a much acclaimed history of liberalism turns his attention to another crucial branch of political philosophy."---Gideon Rachman, Financial Times"A sweeping new work of political history."---John Harris, The Guardian"The narrative is absorbing, the pace unflagging. The reader is carried along by the energy of the prose, by sharp insights and nice turns of phrase, and above all by the author’s evident engagement in politics and joy in ideas."---Jesse Norman, Catholic Herald"Readable and comprehensive. . . . An immensely stimulating canter though a major segment of Western political tradition." * Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review *"An astonishingly accomplished survey of the last two centuries of conservative thought."---Andrew Gimson, Conservative Home"Timely."---William Chislett, Real Instituto Elcano"In Fawcett’s analysis, the French Revolution in 1789 was both a founding moment and a false start. Fawcett rightly observes that conservatism was not “founded” with the publication of Burke’s critique of the Revolution, Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790): it wasn’t until the 1830s that the term gained currency as a political label."---Emily Jones, New Statesman"A compelling work of history."---John Harris, Guardian

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Book SynopsisExcavating Marx’s early writings to rethink the rights of the poor and the idea of the commons in an era of unprecedented privatization The politics of dispossession are everywhere. Troubling developments in intellectual property, genomics, and biotechnology are undermining established concepts of property, while land appropriation and ecological crises reconfigure basic institutions of ownership. In The Dispossessed, Daniel Bensaïd examines Karl Marx’s early writings to establish a new framework for addressing the rights of the poor, the idea of the commons, and private property as a social institution.In his series of articles from 1842–43 about Rhineland parliamentary debates over the privatization of public lands and criminalization of poverty under the rubric of the “theft of wood,” Marx identified broader anxieties about customary law, property rights, and capitalist efforts to privatize the commons. Bensaïd studies these writings to interrogate how dispossession continues to function today as a key modality of power. Brilliantly tacking between past and present, The Dispossessed discloses continuity and rupture in our relationships to property and, through that, to one another.In addition to Bensaïd’s prescient work of political philosophy, The Dispossessed includes new translations of Marx’s original “theft of wood” articles and an introductory essay by Robert Nichols that lucidly contextualizes the essays.Trade Review"In 1842, the young Karl Marx analyzed the consequences of capitalist rural enclosures in Rhineland. Today, patent rights, biotechnologies, and different forms of intellectual property, Daniel Bensaïd convincingly argues, are means of dispossession of human beings exactly as the land enclosures of almost two centuries ago had been a crucial moment in the process of the accumulation of capital. Far from being ‘neutral’ or ‘natural,’ market society was—and still remains—built as a planned dispossession. This is a timely and highly original essay by a towering figure of French critical thought."—Enzo Traverso, author of Left-Wing Melancholia: Marxism, History, and Memory"Within a single volume, this book makes available to English-language readers for the first time not only fresh translations of Marx’s ‘wood theft articles’ but also Daniel Bensaïd’s lucid and incisive commentary on these pieces. Bensaïd’s short book brings the Marx articles alive for contemporary audiences and demonstrates their enduring relevance for longstanding debates about law, property, and rights."—Samuel A. Chambers, Johns Hopkins University"Bensaïd’s essay, as contextualized in this volume by Nichols, successfully pushes, especially those of a Marxist orientation, to make the idea of dispossession more central to their theoretical and practical work."—Marx & Philosophy Table of ContentsContentsCrisis and Kleptocracy: Bensaïd for Our TimesRobert NicholsNotes on TranslationThe Dispossessed: Karl Marx, the Wood Thieves, and the Right of the PoorI. The Law on the Theft of Wood and the Rights of the Poor“Rural Pauperism” and “Forest Malfeasance”—Hybrid and Uncertain Property—Market versus Popular EconomyII. A Social War of PropertiesThe Right of Necessity versus the Right of Property—“Property Is Theft!”—Possession and Property—Theft or ExploitationIII. The Customary Rights of the Poor to the Communal Goods of Humanity The Privatization of Knowledge—The Privatization of Life—The Common Good and the Freely Given—Inappropriable Goods—Individual and Private Property—The Age of Access?—Enforcing Rights (against Existence)—Who Will Win?Proceedings of the Sixth Rhine Province Assembly, Third Article: Debates on the Law Concerning the Theft of Wood Karl MarxSelected Works by Daniel BensaïdNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[How to Keep an Open Mind] gives a modern audience an accessible introduction to the school of thought, and shows us a better way to think about skepticism in a radically polarized world."---Steven Gambardella, The Sophist (Medium)

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Book Synopsis'A sensual and intellectual pleasure from start to finish' - Deborah Levy, author of The Cost of LivingWe are all dressed. But how often do we pause to think about the place of our clothes in our lives? What unconscious thoughts do we express when we dress every day? Can memories, meaning and ideas be wrapped up in a winter coat?These are the questions that interest Shahidha Bari, as she explores the secret language of our clothes. Ranging freely through literature, art, film and philosophy, Dressed tracks the hidden power of clothes in our culture and our daily lives. From the depredations of violence and ageing to our longing for freedom, love and privacy, from the objectification of women to the crisis of masculinity, each garment exposes a fresh dilemma. Item by item, the story of ourselves unravels. Evocative, enlightening and dazzlingly original, Dressed is not just about clothes as objects of fashion or as a means of self-expression. This is a book about the deepest philosophical questions of who we are, how we see ourselves and how we dress to face the world.Trade ReviewBari’s investigation into how we construct our selves, individually and collectively, is a sensual and intellectual pleasure from start to finish. -- Deborah LevyA deeply original, compelling thinker and a brilliant writer. Dressed is the finest philosophy of clothes since Tomas Carlyle’s Sartor Resartus in 1834. Bari’s writing is limpidly clear, informed by a rich literary knowledge, theoretically and historically informed, sensuous and deeply textured, like a piece of luxurious fabric. It is also funny. But make no mistake: this is a work of philosophy. It just happens to be about clothes. -- Simon CritchleyDressed is a feast of a book, a supreme example of the new kind of essay – exploratory, reflective, full of the personal energy of Shahidha Bari herself and also her wide knowledge. -- Marina Warner[A] clever, subtle book… Although [Bari's] writing is critically informed…her tone is insistently personal, intimate even… Between her main chapters she drops in lyrical accounts of her own encounters with specific items of clothing… Bari wants us to think not so much about what clothes say as how they make us feel. -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *[There are] many delectable facts waiting to be discovered in Shahidha Bari’s Dressed… Dressed is irresistible when Bari riffs with extraordinary breadth and depth on the cultural meanings of the items she describes… I put Dressed down having been dazzled by Bari’s learning and insights... In the end, Dressed is an argument for taking apparently frivolous things seriously... More than this, though, Bari communicates the joy and powerful sense of interconnected humanity clothes can bring.” -- Lucy Moore * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review...in City Living, Kukla presents the reader with an illuminating theoretical and social analysis of urban spaces and how they are constituted through both the material and social environment of those spaces as well as the activities of those who live in them... Kukla's City Living is a theoretically robust and socially-engaged work of philosophy. The synthesis of key concepts from a variety of disciplines (evolutionary biology, cognitive science, urban geography, and philosophy) makes it a contribution ripe with wide-ranging and deep insights. I recommend anyone interested in urban geography and the philosophies of architecture, embodiment, feminism, and mind to read this work. * AC Review of Books *City Living is an ambitious book that engages the reader through a phenomenological account of how people living amongst, engaging with, and navigating each other shape urban spaces, and how all that lively embodied and emplaced activity turns around to shape them. We inhabit spaces but those spaces inhabit us. Kukla's analysis gracefully weaves theories of territory and place-making, confronts the challenges of urban gentrification to deliver vital lessons about identity and disruption, all the while taking the reader on philosophical passages through Washington D.C., Berlin, and Johannesburg to face the social-spatial dynamics of how 'city dwellers make and are made by territories.' The journey concludes with an innovative view of what the 'right to the city' means. For Kukla, the expression of this aspirational right goes beyond claims to housing by extending to the right to live one's life and to shape the cities that shape us. * Ronald R. Sundstrom, University of San Francisco *Table of ContentsPreface Guide for Readers Chapter 1: Inhabiting Space Chapter 2: Urban Space and City Living Chapter 3: Living with Gentrification Chapter 4: Introduction to Repurposed Cities Chapter 5: The Repurposed City of Berlin Chapter 6: The Repurposed City of Johannesburg

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Book SynopsisBias seems to be everywhere, in the media, in public policy, in our personal interactions. But what is it, exactly, for a person or thing to be biased? Thomas Kelly offers a way of thinking about this question, and argues provocatively that both morality and rationality sometimes require us to be biased.Trade ReviewThe philosopher Thomas Kelly has been working in the field of epistemology for many years, and his new book on bias is an impressively careful and cool headed attempt to introduce some order into the conceptual mess. * Jessie Munton, Times Literary Supplement *Analytically rigorous yet written clearly and supported by numerous examples that illustrate the big ideas, this book will shape the study of bias for years to come and is an important resource for researchers and professionals alike. * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Conceptual Fundamentals 1: Diversity, Relativity, Etc. 2: Pluralism and Priority Part II: Bias and Norms 3: The Norm-Theoretic Account of Bias 4: The Bias Blind Spot and the Biases of Introspection 5: Biased People 6: Norms of Objectivity 7: Symmetry and Bias Attributions Part III: Knowledge 8: Bias and Knowledge 9: Knowledge, Skepticism, and Reliability 10: Bias Attributions and the Epistemology of Disagreement 11: Main Themes and Conclusions Acknowledgements References

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Book SynopsisThis volume collects recent essays and reviews by Thomas Nagel in three subject areas. The first section, including the title essay, is concerned with religious belief and some of the philosophical questions connected with it, such as the relation between religion and evolutionary theory, the question of why there is something rather than nothing, and the significance for human life of our place in the cosmos. It includes a defense of the relevance of religion to science education. The second section concerns the interpretation of liberal political theory, especially in an international context. A substantial essay argues that the principles of distributive justice that apply within individual nation-states do not apply to the world as a whole. The third section discusses the distinctive contributions of four philosophers to our understanding of what it is to be human--the form of human consciousness and the source of human values.Trade ReviewThese essays are all written in Nagel's clear and familiar style; they combine substantial arguments and insights with the charms of a friendly conversation partner. Highly recommended to those interested in theism versus atheism and the current science-religion debate. * Religous Studies Review *Table of ContentsPART I. RELIGION ; PART II. POLITICS ; PART III. HUMANITY

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Book SynopsisExamining the significance of the Movement for Black Lives, Reckoning uncovers a broadly applicable argument for the democratic necessity of social movements.Barack Obama famously said that the purpose of social movements is to get a seat at the table. However, as Deva Woodly argues in Reckoning - a sweeping account of the meaning and purpose of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) - the value of such movements is something much more profound: they are necessary for the health and survival of democracy. Drawing from on-the-ground interviews with activists in the movement, Woodly analyzes the emergence of the M4BL, its organizational structure and culture, and its strategies and tactics. She also shows how a unique political philosophy - Radical Black Feminist Pragmatism - served as an intellectual foundation of the movement and documents the role it played in transforming public meanings, public opinion, and policy. Interweaving theoretical and empirical observations throughout, Woodly Trade ReviewDeva Woodly's Reckoning identifies a distinct political theory within the Movement for Black Lives: radical Black feminist pragmatism. Her explication of that philosophy is brilliant, sure to be ground-shifting in democratic theory. Reckoning is methodologically innovative, lyrically written, and politically wise. * Jack Turner, co-editor of African American Political Thought: A Collected History *Dr. Deva R. Woodly's Reckoning: Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Necessity of Social Movements is a vital contribution to the academic canon of analytical political texts. It serves as both a historical narrative and a case study of a movement. Beyond this, the book is also an exemplary contemporary radical Black feminist text that pays tribute to the many women who have laid the foundation for social justice movements. * Zoë M. Van Gyseghem, Journal of African American Studies *Reckoning guides the reader from BLM's point of genesis in 2014, through the evolution of #BLM to the creation of a national network...The reader is given a deeper understanding of the depth and complexity of this movement. By the end of this book (two hundred and sixteen pages, two highlighters, and a full pen later), I felt empowered and inspired. Dr. Woodly reminds us of the power and responsibility we have to actively create the democracy we want. The question is, "So what shall we do?" * Zoë M. Van Gyseghem, Journal of African American Studies *This stunning work by Woodly (The New School), author of The Politics of Common Sense, argues for the necessity of community organizing and racial justice to fortify democracy and offers readers a lens through which to comprehend this phenomenon...It is a blueprint for recentering Americans' understanding of social movements, democracy, and power dynamics on lived experiences, intentions to thrive, restorative justice, and the breaking down of harmful systems that hurt marginalized communities. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface: Who Am I to Write this Movement? Part One: Democratic Precipice Introduction: The Democratic Necessity of Social Movements Chapter 1: Emergence: A Contemporary History Part Two: Democratic Necessity Chapter 2: Political Philosophy: Radical Black Feminist Pragmatism Chapter 3: The Politics of Care and the Idea of Healing Justice Chapter 4: The Art of Organizing Part Three: Democratic Possibility Chapter 5: Movement Means Changing Politics: Discourse, Tactics, Policy and a New Political Ecosystem Conclusion: On Futurity Bibliography Appendix A: Examples of Bailouts and Regular Bailout Actions Appendix B: Organizations Partnered with Bail Funds Appendix C: Police Oversight Appendix D: Progressive Reform Prosecutors Appendix E: Movement Syllabi Index

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Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring T.W. Adorno (1903-69) was a German philosopher and social and cultural theorist. His work has come to be seen as increasingly relevant to understanding the pathologies of contemporary society evident in today''s climate emergency, the financial crash, the reappearance of fascism in many countries, and the growing instability of the world order. This Very Short Introduction covers Adorno''s work and life, explaining his key philosophical concepts and the philosophical background and historical context of Adorno''s thinking. Andrew Bowie shows how Adorno''s exploration of why human reason can have irrational consequences led him to rethink basic concepts like ''nature'', ''history'', and ''freedom'', offering alternatives to many ways of thinking about these concepts in contemporary philosophy. The book also examines Adorno''s social theory, as well as his highly critical assessments of jazz and modern culture, which he considered threatened by the effects of modern capitalism.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1: Life and times 2: The modern subject 3: Nature and history 4: History and freedom 5: The culture industry 6: Society 7: Art and philosophy 8: Doing justice to things References Further reading Index

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Book Synopsis''He appears to be persecutor and I the persecuted: is not this difference the mere creature of the imagination?''Caleb is a guileless young servant who enters the employment of Ferdinando Falkland, a cosmopolitan and benevolent country gentleman. Falkland is subject to fits of unexplained melancholy, and Caleb becomes convinced that he harbours a dark secret. His discovery of the truth leads to false accusations against him, and a vengeful pursuit as suspenseful as any thriller.The novel is also a powerful political allegory, inspired by the events of the decade following the French Revolution. This new edition reproduces the original novel of 1794, which captures the raw indignation and sense of injustice felt by victims of British law. It includes the startlingly different manuscript ending, and selected variants in the second and third editions reflecting changes in Godwin''s political and philosophical thinking. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewA breathtaking plot with twists and turns as the protagonist gets into trouble because of his curiosity * Daily Express, Cathy Tyson *

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Book SynopsisA broad, synthetic philosophy of nature focused on human sociality. In this book, Joseph Rouse takes his innovative work to the next level by articulating an integrated philosophy of society as part of nature. He shows how and why we ought to unite our biological conception of human beings as animals with our sociocultural and psychological conceptions of human beings as persons and acculturated agents. Rouse's philosophy engages with biological understandings of human bodies and their environments as well as the diverse practices and institutions through which people live and engage with one another. Familiar conceptual separations of natural, social, and mental worlds did not arise by happenstance, he argues, but often for principled reasons that have left those divisions deeply entrenched in contemporary intellectual life. Those reasons are eroding in light of new developments across the disciplines, but that erosion has not been sufficient to produce more adequately integrated Trade Review"Recommended." * Choice *“A compelling philosophical account of the human, which transcends the ancient and problematic dichotomies of biology and society, mind and body, and so on, requires both deep and multidisciplinary expertise and philosophical subtlety. Rouse is one of a very few contemporary philosophers with the requisite skill set for this task. Building on the core notions of practice and niche construction, Rouse provides a philosophy of what he calls natureculture that is fully naturalistic without being reductive. This book will provide a benchmark for approaches to this fundamental philosophical topic for some time to come.” -- John Dupré, University of Exeter“Rouse is once again on the vanguard of social theory. His naturecultural approach profoundly rethinks practice theory, demonstrating the interdependence of human practices with both the material environment and other organisms. It makes available new ways to think about central topics in philosophy and the social sciences, including normativity, discourse, power, and temporality. I will be reflecting on the consequences of this work for some time.” -- Mark Risjord, Emory UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: Sociocultural Animals 1 The Social Theory of Practices 2 Ecological-Developmental Niche Construction 3 Postures 4 Practices 5 Normativity 6 Language 7 Discourse 8 Power 9 Finitude Acknowledgments References

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Book SynopsisA lively intellectual history that explores how prominent midcentury public intellectuals approached Zionism and then the State of Israel itself and its conflicts with the Arab worldTrade Review“Original. . . . Interesting. . . . Important. . . . Urgent.”—J. J. Goldberg, New York Times Book Review“Linfield explores her theme through the writing of a galaxy of intellectuals.”—David Feldman, Financial Times“The book is a brilliant, intellectual, sociological exploration of eight popular, prolific thinkers and writers.”—Harold Goldmeier, American ThinkerNamed one of two Fall 2019 Natan Notable Books, sponsored by The Jewish Book Council “The Lions’ Den is a brilliantly incisive commentary on eight intellectuals who wrote about the Israel/Palestine conflict. Susie Linfield is herself the ninth intellectual in this book, with a strong and persuasive position of her own.”—Michael Walzer, author of A Foreign Policy for the Left“You don’t have to be enthralled by the Left, Judaism, or Zionism to enjoy this riveting book. Wherever you stand on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this is a must for devotees of fascinating, intriguing, exhilarating, and exciting debates.”—Hussein Agha, coauthor of A Framework for a Palestinian National Security Doctrine“Why have some of the brightest minds in the American and European Left been unable to understand Jewish nationalism? The Lions’ Den is a fascinating, uniquely incisive inquiry into the limits of the intellectual Left as it tries to deal with the harsh realities of our world.”—Zeev Sternhell, author of The Founding Myths of Israel: Nationalism, Socialism, and the Making of the Jewish State“How has the stormy yet often devoted marriage of the Left and Zionism devolved into a minefield of acrimonious disputes? Susie Linfield approaches this polarizing subject with her customary brilliant vision and generous spirit. An original and essential contribution.”—Ruth Franklin, author of A Thousand Darknesses: Lies and Truth in Holocaust Fiction“The Lions’ Den is an exemplary intellectual history that comes to grips with both the tragedy of Zionism and the way in which anti-Zionism became a touchstone for the global Left. It is scrupulous, unflinching, lucid, timely, and morally serious.”—Todd Gitlin, author of The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage

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Book SynopsisA testament to what it means to be liberal by one of the most prominent political philosophers of our eraTrade Review“Walzer is perhaps our foremost pilot on these rocky shoals. In his preface, he writes that this may be his last book. One hopes not.”—James Traub, New York Times“[A] superb testimony to a lifelong struggle for a decent politics.”—Mario Clemens, LSE Review of Books“This little book by one of the most eminent thinkers of our time contains more political wisdom and moral decency than shelves of tomes on liberalism and its discontents. There is no better defender or critic of our ‘seriously imperfect liberal democracy’ than Michael Walzer.”—Michael Kazin, author of What It Took to Win“The Struggle for a Decent Politics is one of those books that we may come to think of as making the case for liberalism at its best. There are many distinguished predecessors in this list, from J. S. Mill’s On Liberty to Lionel Trilling’s Liberal Imagination to Isaiah Berlin’s Two Concepts of Liberty. It would not surprise me if one day we thought of Michael Walzer’s book in this company. It deserves to be.”—Steven B. Smith, author of Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes“In this remarkable, deeply personal book, Michael Walzer melds political theory and un-elegiac memoir to trace the perennial struggle between liberalism and its enemies, a struggle that flashes in every facet of his political life—and ours. Walzer’s lifetime of learning and reflection has yielded an undimmed spirit of defiance, not just of brutal injustice but of the cults of true doctrine that injustice inspires. We’ve never needed that spirit more than now.”—Sean Wilentz, author of The Rise of American Democracy“Michael Walzer’s new book is a departure—it’s his most personal work yet—and, also, a continuation of the themes he’s developed so incisively for over four decades. This is a sometimes surprising, always illuminating look at key political concepts you may think you know (but don’t).The Struggle for a Decent Politics reminds us of what is worth fighting for, and of what can be lost.”—Susie Linfield, author of The Lions’ Den: Zionism and the Left from Hannah Arendt to Noam Chomsky

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Book SynopsisThis book discusses the ways civil society initiatives open communities to newcomers and why, how, and under what circumstances some are more welcoming than others, exploring the importance of transgressive cosmopolitanism as a basis for creating more inclusive and pluralistic societies.The question of how to live together in increasingly multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multireligious societies is a pressing political and policy issue, particularly as we witness a rise in right-wing populism and anti-immigrant sentiments. This book addresses the limitations of approaches that seek to secure borders, preventing the arrival of newcomers altogether, or that vacillate between assimilation and multiculturalism. The authors explore the concept of cosmopolitanism and its utility, by theorizing from real-world examples, including Germanyâs Welcome Culture and Denmarkâs Kind Citizens movements and other smaller-scale initiatives, such as arts and museum projects, kitchen hubs, and sh

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Book SynopsisAt a time when much in UK policing is the subject of intense public and media scrutiny, there prevails a practitioner discourse about policing ethically that is ongoing formally in police ethics committee discussions, and probably informally in station offices, canteens, classrooms, and police vehicles. Since January 2024, these conversations have added emphasis with the publication of the College of Policing revised Code of Ethics with which policing practitioners in England and Wales are coming to grips. This book explores thinking about policing ethically for those who have to use and implement the ideas; to those who, when law and policy is silent on the matter before them, nevertheless have to make a justifiable decision and act upon it.Applicable to policing generally, not just to the U.K., Part 1 of this book presents conceptual contextualization for thinking about policing ethically. Following which, Part 2 considers practical implications of policing ethically. Some of the key topics that the book covers are as follows: Discussions of managing power and vulnerability Implementing frontline ethics in practice The process of making ethically-informed decisions Considerations around ethics and the use of Artificial Intelligence by policing practitioners Prerequisites to ethical leadership Considering âpublic interestâ in relation to policing ethically Risk management as a moral obligation Drawing upon the policing practitioner and policy-making experience of the authors, this book will be of interest and use to all those involved in delivering policing: constables of all ranks (student, probationary, and experienced), policing community support officers, professional support staff, policing ethic committee members, and policymakers. The book is also a contribution to the wider academic literature on policing and ethics, and will be of interest not only to policing ethicists and ethnographers, but also students and policy-makers in the fields of criminology, sociology and governance.

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Book SynopsisLooking at two of the key paradigms of the post-Cold War eraânational sovereignty, and human rights â this book examines the possibilities for their reconciliation from a global perspective. The real or imagined fear of a flood of immigrants has caused and fuelled the surge of an amalgam of populist political forces, anti-immigrant movements, and exclusionist nationalism in many developed countries. In the last decade, we have witnessed the emergence of two phenomena in the political and legal spheres. On the one hand, there are liberal globalists asking for respect and the protection of the basic human rights of migrants and asylum seekers and arguing for their civic and social integration into host societies. On the other hand, there are growing calls for a tougher stance on immigration, and powerful populist politicians and governments have emerged in many developed countries. How can the idea of universal human rights survive exclusionist nationalism that uses a populist, unscrupulous approach to its advantage? The contributors to this book explore the meaning of, and possible solutions to, this dilemma using a wide range of approaches and seek appropriate ways of dealing with these normative predicaments shared by many developed societies. Scholars and students of human rights, migration, nationalism and multiculturalism will find this a very valuable resource.

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Book SynopsisErnst Bloch is perhaps best known for his subtle and imaginative investigation of utopias and utopianism, but his work also provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of western culture, politics and society. Yet, because he has not been one of easiest of writers to read his full contribution has not been widely acknowledged. Block developed a complex conceptual framework, and presented this in a prose style which many have found to verge on the impenetrable. In this critical and accessible introduction to one of the most fascinating thinkers of the twentieth century, Vincent Geoghegan unravels much of the mystery of the man and his ideas.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Chapter 1 Life and Concepts; Chapter 2 Culture; Chapter 3 Religion; Chapter 4 Fascism and Marxism; Chapter 5 Natural Law, Utopianism and Nature; Chapter 6 Conclusion;

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Book SynopsisStudying one of the key thinkers of the twentieth century, this new and welcome addition to the Routledge Critical Thinkers series examines the theories from Arendt’s three main works, offers explanations to the main claims of the works, and presents a guide to her philosophical, literary and cultural context.Table of ContentsWhy Arendt? 1 Biography, Theory and Politics2 Thinking and Society3 Acting4 Labour, Work and Modernism5 Judging: From Kant to Eichmann6 Anti-Semitism7 Imperialism, Racism and Nation8 TotalitarianismCoda: EvilAfter Arendt

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Book SynopsisWritten by one of the twentieth century's most significant thinkers, Freedom and Organization, is considered to be Bertrand Russell's major work on political history. It traces the main causes of political change during a period of one hundred years, which he argues were predominantly influenced by three major elements economic technique, political theory and certain significant individuals. In the witty, approachable style that has made Bertrand Russell's works so revered, he explores in detail the major forces and events that shaped the nineteenth century. Table of ContentsPreface Part 1: The Principle of Legitimacy 1. Napoleon’s Successors 2. The Congress of Vienna 3. The Holy Alliance 4. The Twilight of Metternich SPart 2: The March of Mind Section A: The Social Background 5. The Aristocracy 6. Country Life 7. Industrial Life Section B: The Philosophical Radicals 8. Malthus 9. Bentham 10. James Mill 11. Ricardo 12. The Benthamite Doctrine 13. Democracy in England 14. Free Trade Section C: Socialism 15. Owen and Early British Socialism 16. Early Trade Unionism 17. Marx and Engels 18. Dialectical Materialism 19. The Theory of Surplus Value 20. The Politics of Marxism Part 3: Democracy and Plutocracy in America Section A: Democracy in America 21. Jeffersonian Democracy 22. The Settlement of the West 23. Jacksonian Democracy 24. Slavery and Disunion 25. Lincoln and National Unity Section B: Competition and Monopoly in America 26. Competitive Capatalism 27. The Approach to Monopoly Part 4: Nationalism and Imperialism 28. The Principle of Nationality 29. Bismarck and German Unity 30. Imperialism 31. The Arbiters of Europe Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1985, Thomas Sowellâs book is a crisp, lucid and commonsensical introduction to Marxâs own writings and to Marxist theory. It combines readability with intellectual rigour and distils more than a quarter of a century of Thomas Sowellâs research and thought on the philosophical and economic doctrines of Karl Marx.Its central theme is that Marxian philosophy must be understood before Marxian economics can be defined. The book discusses Marxâs ideas, including his philosophy of history, concept of capitalist exploitation, morality and business cycle theory. The authorâs treatment is balanced, though often critical and displays a mastery of Marxâs own writings which are liberally extracted throughout the text. Trade Review‘Among the best short accounts of Marxism ever, whatever the reader’s own politics are. I found it a real pleasure to read, clear and tight, full of both common sense and intellectual rigour.’ – Bernard Crick‘Very readable … The non-Marxist Mr Sowell is distinctly successful in opening up the scope and brilliance of Marx’s very interesting mind.’ – Brigitte Berger, New York Times Book ReviewTable of Contents1. Economics and Philosophy 2. The Dialectic Approach 3. Philosophic Materialism 4. The Marxian Theory of History 5. The Capitalist Economy 6. Marxian Economic Crises 7. Marxian Value 8. Political Systems and Revolution 9. Marx the Man 10. The Legacy of Marx

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Book SynopsisWritten by an international assembly of distinguished philosophers and legal theorists, The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Law and Legal Theory creates a groundbreaking student resource in critical essays on the central themes and issues of the philosophy of law today. .Trade Review“Golding and Edmundson have assembled many of the most luminous figures in legal theory to write deep and totally original essays on a variety of central jurisprudential topics. The authors are the right people writing on the right subjects, and this book is likely to become a standard source for many years to come.” Frederick Schauer, Harvard University “In addition to offering excellent introductions to the central topics of legal philosophy, the articles in this volume are in their own right distinguished scholarly contributions to the field. Students and specialists alike will find the book to be of great interest.” Stephen Perry, New York University School of Law “This is a Guide that actually guides. All the contributors provide excellent routemaps, sometimes across very tricky terrain. At the same time, many of the contributors open up new paths and new vistas. The result is a book that works at more than one level: accessible secondary literature for those just mastering the subject as well as challenging primary literature for those already steeped in it.” John Gardner, University of Oxford "Convincing, lively, coherent, applied, unpretentious, even though within a predominantly western paradigm, this guide is real value for money. It is a guide not just to facts and ideas but also to method; in addition it will serve as a portal for collection managers to a wide range of must-haves for the library." Stuart Hannabuss, Aberdeen Business School, AberdeenTable of ContentsNotes on Contributors. Introduction: William A. Edmundson (Georgia State University). Part I: Contending Schools of Thought:. 1. Legal Positivism: Brian H. Bix (University of Minnesota). 2. Natural Law Theory: Mark C. Murphy (Georgetown University. 3. American Legal Realism: Brian Leiter (University of Texas at Austin). 4. Economic Rationality in the Analysis of Legal Rules and Institutions: Lewis A. Kornhauser (New York University). 5. Critical Legal Theory: Mark V. Tushnet (Georgetown University). 6. Four Themes in Feminist Legal Theory: Difference, Dominance, Domesticity, and Denial: Patricia Smith (Baruch College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York). Part II: Doctrinal Domains and Their Philosophical Foundations:. 7. Criminal Law Theory: Douglas Husak (Rutgers University). 8. Philosophy of Tort Law: Between the Banal and the Esoteric: Benjamin C. Zipursky (Fordham University). 9. Contract Theory: Eric Posner (University of Chicago). 10. The Commons and the Anticommons in the Law and Theory of Property: Stephen R. Munzer (University of California, Los Angeles). 11. Legal Evidence: Alvin I. Goldman (Rutgers University). Part III: Perennial Topics:. 12. Obligation: Matthew H. Kramer (Cambridge University). 13. Theories of Rights: Alon Harel (University of Jerusalem). 14. A Contractarian Approach to Punishment: Claire Finklestein (University of Pennsylavania). 15. Responsibility: Martin P. Golding (Duke University). 16. Legislation: Jeremy J. Waldron (Columbia University). 17. Constitutionalism: Larry A. Alexander (University of San Diego). 18. Adjudication and Legal Reasoning: Richard Warner (Illinois Institute of Technology). 19. Privacy: William A. Edmundson (Georgia State University). Part IV: Continental Perspectives:. 20. On Legal Positivism and Natural Law Theory: Jes Bjarup (Stockholm University). 21. Some Contemporary Trends in Continental Philosophy of Law: Guy Haarscher (Free University of Brussels). Part V: Methodological Concerns:. 22. Objectivity: Nicos Stavropoulos (Oxford University). 23. Can There Be a Theory of Law?: Joseph Raz (Oxford University). Index

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Book SynopsisThe alternate self is a persistent theme of modern culture. From Robert Frost to Sharon Olds, Virginia Woolf to Ian McEwan, poets and novelists—and readers—are fascinated by paths not taken. In an elegant and provocative rumination, Andrew H. Miller lingers with other selves, listening to what they have to say about our stories and our lives.Trade ReviewAn expertly curated tour of regret and envy in literature…By approaching regret and envy from multiple angles, Miller’s insightful and moving book—both in his own discussion and in the tales he recounts—gently nudges us toward consolation. Yes, we might live only one among countless possible lives, and those we haven’t lived will haunt us. But, as Miller notes in conclusion, at least we have had the chance to live the one life that has been given to us. * Wall Street Journal *Counts the ways in which narratives of unlived lives can examine or come to terms with the present…Miller believes, in short, that stories of unled lives make real life livelier…[A] capacious book. -- Daisy Hildyard * Times Literary Supplement *Miller is charming company, both humanly and intellectually. He is onto something: the theme of unled lives, and the fascinating idea that fiction intensifies the sense of provisionality that attends all lives. An extremely attractive book. -- James WoodOn Not Being Someone Else reminds us just how alluring and confounding our singularity is and how, through literature, we make sense of being ourselves. To be someone—to be anyone—is about being someone and not being someone else. Miller’s amused and inspired book is utterly compelling about this, and about so much else. -- Adam Phillips, author of One Way and Another: New and Selected EssaysA compendium of expressions of wonder over what might have been…We have unled lives for all sorts of reasons: because we make choices; because society constrains us; because events force our hands; most of all, because we are singular individuals, becoming more so with time…Swept up in our real lives, we quickly forget about the unreal ones. Still, there will be moments when, for good or ill, we feel confronted by our unrealized possibilities. -- Joshua Rothman * New Yorker *I wish I had written this book—a wish that is surely the best response to reading it… Cosmic metaphysical speculation is combined with, and conveyed through, meticulous analysis of pictures, poems, novels and films…Examining art’s capacity to transfix, multiply, and compress, this book is itself a work of art. -- Jane O’Grady * Times Higher Education *Excellent…For Miller, imagining who we might have been or once were, or who we might yet become, is anything but frivolous…In spirited and incisive close readings of texts like Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken,’ Carl Dennis’s ‘The God Who Loves You,’ and Ian McEwan’s Atonement (among many, many others), Miller pursues this slippery, elusive meaning and the many questions it leaves unanswered…The idea of unled lives could hardly be more resonant…How many literary scholars today write so engagingly? -- Morten Høi Jensen * Commonweal *Shows that the idea of lives unled is stitched into works of art across genres and across centuries, making clear that the stories we tell are often rooted in considering alternatives to the choices we’ve made. -- Linda Levitt * PopMatters *A book of admirable insight and sensitivity…Throughout this quiet, engrossing book, Miller aptly reveals the uncanny mesmerism of the unlived life, of the untaken road—our very modern preoccupation with who we are not…This is a text fresh and alive with the power and mystery of art, steeped in feeling, and, like life itself, resplendent with possibilities as yet unrealized, with knowledge not yet known. -- Alexandre Leskanich * Philosophy Now *Wonderfully lucid about murky questions of what might have been…Both literature specialists, who will appreciate Miller’s breadth of examples, and general readers, who can enjoy the universal topics he explores, will find much food for thought in this pleasant work. * Publishers Weekly *A strong, pleasing work that is as much about living as about reading and writing. * Kirkus Reviews *Fascinating. -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *What a provocative book! It is interesting and alive on every page, and entertaining the idea of a different life is a profound experience. -- Michael Gorra, author of Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American MasterpieceMiller’s book is a poetics of the unled life, a poetics of ‘what if…’ Through poems, novels, films, philosophy, and psychoanalysis—the texts of our modernity—Miller leads us to profound questions about the imagination, the self and identity, history, marriage, children, regret, atonement, storytelling, and the ethics of choice. Above all, he makes us feel the pressure and immediacy of possibility, the road not taken. -- Isobel Armstrong, author of Novel Politics: Democratic Imaginations in Nineteenth-Century FictionA one-of-a-kind book that is at once literary and personal, drawing us into a world of reflection about lives we have not lived. Why do we return to the past to understand who we are now? This is a profound question, and this book explores possible answers more acutely than anything I have seen on the subject. -- Garry L. Hagberg, author of Describing Ourselves: Wittgenstein and Autobiographical ConsciousnessA thoughtful, generous, amusing, tender, meandering, self-deprecating, wistful, even reverent style of thinking about our lives in relation to the stories we read. -- Matthew Rubery * Public Books *Blend[s] literary criticism and personal essay into a beguiling hybrid…Will remain widely compelling for a long time to come, not only because of [its] many discrete merits, but because of [its] readership’s new intimacy with the ‘unled lives’ of lockdown and quarantine. -- Elizabeth Brogden * Journal of Victorian Culture *Deeply reflective and at the same time uncommonly readable…Although no book of literary criticism can be accused of being a page turner, On Not Being Someone Else comes close. * Choice *[A] marvelous, melancholic, middle-aged meditation on the meaning of lives unled…Miller is a profoundly gifted close reader—someone whose company one would like to keep, and return to again and again. -- David LaRocca * Victorian Studies *

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Book SynopsisA critical introduction to the sociology and politics of Emile DurkheimTrade Review'An important contribution to a glaring deficit in the sociological literature' -- Steven Loyal, Senior Lecturer, School of Sociology, University College DublinTable of ContentsPreface 1. Durkheim Declassified 2. Durkheim’s French Republicanism 3. The Division of Labour 4. Durkheim’s Method of Scientific Inquiry 5. Suicide 6. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life 7. Educating Republican Citizens 8. Socialism and Saint-Simon 9. The Limits to Durkheim’s Republican Sociology Notes Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis1. An important new book by Habermas -- one of the worlda s leading social and political thinkers. 2. Addresses the impact of globalization on politics and cultural identity. 3. Accessible to non--specialists, this book is an excellent introduction to Habermasa views.Trade ReviewJürgen Habermas has been awarded the prestigious 'Friedenspreis des deutschen Buchhandels' prize for 2001 'The Reader gains a firm appreciation of how Habermas's social theory applies to political realities ... These new books by Habermas will be indispensable for years to come [and will] undoubtedly make provocative reading.' Anthony Elliott, The Australian 'Habermas is that rare mixture of respected scholar and public intellectual. [This book] is one of his most accessible to date ... [it] is an impressive collection of essays on political issues of the day ... More generally, the book contains the thoughts of a great European intellectual of the Left who has not lost his nerve. And for this alone it is worth the money. After the 'debate' in Northern Ireland and the general lack of understanding in some circles, our political class could use a few copies.' FortnightTable of ContentsEditor's Introduction. Foreword. What is a People? The Frankfurt "Germanists' Assembly" of 1846 and the Self-Understanding of the Humanities in the Vorm?rz. On the Public Use of History. Learning from Catastrophe? A Look Back at the Short Twentieth Century. The Postnational Constellation and the Future of Democracy. Remarks on Legitimation through Human Rights. Conceptions of Modernity: A Look Back at Two Traditions. The Differing Rhythms of Philosophy and Politics: Herbert Marcuse at 100. An Argument against Cloning: Three Replies. Notes. Index

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Book SynopsisA lucid and inspiring consideration of the challenges we and our world now face, and a proposal for a way to avoid disaster.‘A must read’ Gordon Brown ‘A truly excellent book’ Sir David King The three biggest challenges facing the world today, in A. C. Grayling’s view, are climate change, technology and justice. In his timely new book, he asks: can human beings agree on a set of values that will allow us to confront the numerous threats facing the planet, or will we simply continue with our disagreements and antipathies as we collectively approach our possible extinction? As every day brings new stories about extreme weather events, spyware, lethal autonomous weapons systems, and the health imbalance between the northern and southern hemispheres, Grayling’s question - Is Global Agreement on Global Challenges Possible? - becomes ever more urgent. The solution he proposeTrade Review‘A truly excellent book. Grayling invites us all into a vital discussion of our planet’s future.’ -- Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Adviser‘A must read for anyone with questions, worries and fears about pollution, poverty, protectionism, populism, weapons proliferation, and where our world is headed.’ -- Gordon Brown, former UK prime minister‘Grayling writes with admirable clarity and great conviction. He is clearly one of the good guys, appalled by the universality of infamy: climate nationalism, religious bigotry, gender inequality.’ -- Iain Macwhirter, Herald (Glasgow)‘An enthusiastic thinker who embraces humour, common sense and lucidity.’ -- Independent‘Grayling is particularly good at illuminating the knottiness of moral discourse.’ -- Sunday Times‘A truly excellent book. Grayling invites us all into a vital discussion of our planet’s future. The chapter on climate change, particularly, is an outstanding summary of the challenges we face.’ -- Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn addition to its elegant and precise translation of Utopia, this edition offers the prefatory material and postscripts from the 1518 edition, and More's letter to Giles form the 1517 edition. Mr. Wootton has also added Erasmus's 'The Sileni of Alcibiades,' which is crucial for the interpretation he gives in his Introduction of the many ambiguities and contradictions in More's text as well as his life. The Introduction is a most valuable guide for understanding this man who was a proponent of toleration and a persecutor of heretics, a courtier full of worldly ambition ending as a fearless martyr. The contradictions of the man translated into a complicated and contradictory historiography to which Mr. Wootton's Introduction is a most intelligent guide. A welcome addition to the More literature. -J. W. Smit, Professor of History, Columbia UniversityEvery serious reader of Utopia, friends and foes alike of Thomas More, will be enlightened by Wootton's essay. Combining it with his translations of More and Erasmus works well. This is a delightfully fine piece of scholarship, even down to the notes on the illustrations. --Donald J. Millus, Sixteenth Century JournalLike his Introduction, which says much, both directly and indirectly, about the complexity of More's language and mentality, David Wootton's translation of the Utopia is a thoughtful and careful one. Wootton has been particularly scrupulous in his handling of marginal annotations. . . notes are economical but helpful. Students interested in 16th century humanism and/or developments in early modern Europe will find this edition especially appealing, as will everyone interested in interpretations of More's Utopia, here fruitfully juxtaposed with Erasmus’ philosophy and perspective on the world as these are represented by his adage on ‘The Sileni of Alcibiades.' --Elizabeth McCutcheon, Utopian Studies

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis new English edition of some of Sieyes' key texts is to be warmly welcomed. . . . Michael Sonenscher's scholarly Introduction is devoted to a discussion of different aspects of Sieyes' political ideas, rather than to a detailed examination of the texts themselves. He concentrates mainly, and quite properly, on Sieyes' concept of representation, which he analyses with sensitivity, linking it to Sieyes' concept of the nation, and distinguishing it carefully from the conventional view of representation held by the man in the street. . . . Sonenscher has researched widely and his allusions are original and stimulating. . . . [He] has done a good service in making these compelling and subversive writings more widely available. --Murray Forsyth, History of Political ThoughtThis is an invaluable contribution to the study of political thought. Sieyès was the most important political thinker of the French Revolution and one of the great theorists of representative government. Michael Sonenscher has made it easier for Anglophone readers to understand why. In addition to excellent translations, he provides a brilliantly original and illuminating Introduction to these fundamental texts. --Keith Michael Baker, Stanford UniversityMichael Sonenscher's edition of Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes's political writings is, in effect, two substantial works in one. First, Sonenscher provides readers with a sorely needed English-language edition of Sieyes's work that goes beyond the frequently anthologized, but almost inevitably excerpted, 'What is the Third Estate?' With the addition of two contemporaneous pamphlets ('Views of the Executive Means Available to the Representatives of France in 1789' and 'An Essay on Privileges') as well as Sieyes's 1791 debate with Tom Paine, Sonenscher has crafted a scholarly resource that will remain a point of reference for some time. Second, by way of an introduction to this well-translated and annotated edition, Sonenscher offers a lengthy, ambitious essay that, drawing on manuscript sources, gives a fresh and equally overdue perspective on Sieyes's political thought. . . . With this edition of Sieyès's works, Hackett has proven once again that it is much more than a niche publisher of staid and inexpensive classroom editions of the classics in politics and philosophy. As readers of Hackett's editions of Bernard Mandeville (ed. E. J. Hundert), Edmund Burke (ed. J. G. A. Pocock), Niccolo Machiavelli (ed. David Wootton) and Charles-Louis Montesquieu (ed. Melvin Richter)--to name just a few--already know, Hackett is no country cousin to the higher profile series, Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought, but is also reshaping and reinvigorating the discipline of the history of political thought. Sonenscher's edition of Sieyès's political writings is no exception. --Paul Cheney, University of Chicago, for H-France Review

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Book SynopsisRita Floyd argues that there are always circumstances in which states and other actors have a moral duty to securitize to use extraordinary emergency measures to deal with existential threats, whatever their source. This book will appeal to anyone interested in achieving a more peaceful and just world.

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