Arguing About Political Philosophy

Editor: Matt Zwolinski

Edition: First

Publisher: Routledge

Pages: 671

Price: £80.00 and £.99

ISBN: 9780415990783 and 0790

This anthology aims to provide an engaging survey of political philosophy for undergraduate students and to a large extent it succeeds. The third part, on issues in global justice covering the topics of immigration, global justice, secession, torture and humanitarian interventions is timely, well-balanced and very useful. Parts one and two cover more traditional topics such as theories about political obligation, rights, distributive justice, freedom and equality. The treatment of these topics is not equally balanced, with too much space dedicated to the early modern exponents of social contract theory and no mention of republicanism or feminist political philosophy. That said, the selection is good for courses that include a significant historical component. I was surprised to note that references for quotations were omitted in some of the contributions, as this sets a bad example to students.

Who is it for? Upper-level undergraduates and general readers interested in political philosophy.

Presentation Fifty one contributions prefaced by introductions, and suggestions for further reading.

Would you recommend it? Yes, especially for courses with a historical angle.