Description
Book SynopsisThis Lexington Books edition of Comparative Political Philosophy brings back into print a volume that was one of the first to move beyond a Eurocentric bias in the study of political philosophy and provide a well-balanced critique of the perilous transition from tradition to modernity. The book is evidence of the benefits to be reaped from comparison, from a reading of Aristotle together with the Arthashastra, of Mahatma Gandhi with Eric Voegelin, of Voltaire with Confucius. Focusing on key texts from Chinese, Indian, Western and Islamic political philosophy, chapter authors both describe the very different contexts from which philosophic traditions arose and discover basic tenets they have in common. In a new introduction, editors Anthony J. Parel and Ronald C. Keith discuss the changes in political contexts since the book''s first publication, and they underscore the increasing importance of the comparative approach.
Trade ReviewComparative Political Philosophy breaks the taboo of treating nonwestern political thinking as untouchable. . . . The publication of this book is an act of courage, and a landmark in the literature on political philosophy. * The Book Review, (India) *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction to the Second Edition Chapter 2 The Comparative Study of Political Philosophy Chapter 3 Classical Western Political Philosophy Chapter 4 Modern Western Political Philosophy Chapter 5 Law and Society in Confucian Thought Chapter 6 Mao Zedong and His Political Thought Chapter 7 What Good is Democracy? The Alternatives in China and the West Chapter 8 Of Artha and the Arthasastra Chapter 9 Mahatma Gandhi's Critique of Modernity Chapter 10 Farabi and Greek Political Philosophy Chapter 11 Khomeini's Doctrine of Legitimacy
