Political ConductThis book explores how the processes and practices of politics shape political values, such as liberty, justice, equality, and democracy. Mining the history of political episodes and political thinkers, including Caesar and Machiavelli, Mark Philp argues that it is through political activity that "values are articulated and embraced, and they become powerful motivating forces." Political Conduct is thus an attempt to inform and enrich political theory--to show that its principles would be more relevant to actual politics if they were immersed in history and practice. Philp argues for a separation between moral and political philosophy and proposes that a less abstract and ideal approach to political philosophy than that provided by Rawls, Dworkin, Nagel, and Cohen would be more useful in illuminating the conduct of politicians and the limitations on what they can achieve. |
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Philp's book offers a realist approach to the problems of political ethics with an admirable sensitivity to the complexities and ramifications of difficult political situations. It is one of the most inspiring pieces of contemporary political theory. If you like this stuff you should also check out Andrew Sabl's Ruling Passions.
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Rendering unto Caesar | 19 |
Machiavelli and Political Virtue | 37 |
The Character of Political Rule | 55 |
Resolved to Rule | 76 |
Must Power Corrupt? | 97 |
Loyalty in Politics | 117 |
Officials and Public Servants | 141 |
Resistance and Protest | 169 |
Democratic Citizenship | 193 |
Institutions and Integrity | 214 |
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Political Conduct |
| Authors | Former Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations Oxford and Fellow and Tutor in Politics Oriel College Oxford Mark Philp, Mark Philp, Fellow and Tutor in Politics Mark Philp |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Harvard University Press, 2007 |
| ISBN | 0674024885, 9780674024885 |
| Length | 283 pages |
| Subjects | › Philosophy / Political Political Science / History & Theory |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |