Description
Book SynopsisExamines an unlikely development in modern political philosophy: the adoption by a major national government of the ideas of a living political theorist. This book discusses what is required of a political philosophy if it is to play the sort of public role that civic republicanism has been playing in Spain.
Trade ReviewOne of New Statesman's Five Best Political and Economics Books for 2010 "This fascinating book dedicates itself to this unique exchange between the worlds of practical governance and political theory."--Choice "[W]e can thank Marti and Pettit for providing compelling evidence that contemporary political philosophy is as capable of inspiring those who are active in the public square as it is of those gathered around seminar tables."--Richard Dagger, Ethics "This work is a success at what it intends to do--to recount a compelling event in the history of political theory and practice, to introduce a non-professional audience to republican thought, and to motivate citizens, Spanish or otherwise, to ask what can be done to make our own political practice more just."--Phillip Deen, Philosophy in Review "The book is lucid, clearly accessible to the general public, well written, and full of insights that are useful both to academic and nonacademic readers. It is a must read for those who are interested in how a political philosophy can enter into dialogue with a real-world experience in politics; Pettit and Marti have been protagonists of a unique experience, and it is a privilege for us readers to have the opportunity to learn about this experience directly from them."--Roberto Gargarella, Perspectives on Politics
Table of ContentsPreface vii Chapter 1: The Spanish Context 1 Chapter 2: Civic Republican Theory 31 Chapter 3: The Theory in Practice? Spain 2004-8 69 Appendix: Challenges and Queries 95 Chapter 4: An Interview with Prime Minister Zapatero 109 Chapter 5: Giving Philosophy a Public Life 135 Notes 161 References 183 Index 191
