HISTORY OF WESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT

This book covers Western Political Thought from the very beginning to Karl Marx. It has been written in a simple and lucid style. Controversial matters have been dealt with in such a way that scientific and objective conclusions may be drawn. The book has been planned as an ideal textbook for the students and a reference book for the teachers.

Book Contents

Introduction Nature and Subject Matter of Political Thought, Subject Matter of Political Thought, A Few Problems of Political Thought, Political Thought and the Environment, Importance of Western Political Thought, Divisions of the Subject, Four Periods of Political Thought, Scope of Political Thinking, Sources of Political Thought, Great Political Thinkers, Importance of Political Philosophy. 1. Greek Political Thought Before Plato The Scope of Greek Political Thought, The City State, Greek City State and Slaves, The States of Athens and Sparta, Characteristics of Greek Political Thought, Modern Thinking, Political Thought of Sophists, Their Philosophy, Important Sophists and Their Teaching, Their Importance, Political Thought of Socrates and its Importance, Life, Methods, Socrates and Sophist Thinking, Socrates on Law and State, Socrates on Democracy, Other Ideas, Significance of His Death, His Influence. 2. Platos (348 B.C. to 322 B.C.) Platos Life and His Philosophy, The Sources of Plato, The Method of Plato, His Works, Place of Plato in the History of Political Thought, Platos Emphasis on Virtue, Justice, Education, Evaluation, Indebtness to Socrates, Philosopher King, Education, Platos Communism, Influence of Socrates, Comparison of State with Individual and Conception of Justice, Criticism of the Platos Justice, Platos Ideal State, Organic Conception, States as Individual Writ Large, The Rule of Philosopher Kings, Philosopher King, Merits and Demerits, Defects, Platos Communism, Ideas that lead Plato to Communism, Platos Opposition to family, His Plea Against Family, Aristotles Criticism of Platos Communism, Aristotles Criticism of Community of Wives, General Criticism about Platos Communism, Similarities between Plato and Modern Communism, Dissimilarities or Differences between Platos and Modern Communism, Conclusion, Importance, Plato on Education, System, Educational Curriculum, Higher Training, Special Qualities, Criticism, Evaluation, Platos The Politics or the Statesman, Change, Classification of Governments, The Laws, Political Power and Wealth, Administrative Machinery with Proper Checks, The Republic and the Laws, Difference, Influence of Plato, The Helianic and Universal in Plato, Universalism, Functional Specialization and Division in Classes, His Ideas about Women, Aristotles Criticism of Philosopher King, Aristotles Criticism of Plato, Aristotles Opposition to Platos Communism, Criticism of Ideal State of Plato, His Criticism of The Laws, Evaluation, Similar Points, Differences, Evaluation. 3. Aristotle (384 B.C. to 322 B.C.) Life History, Platos Influence, Experience and Knowledge of Aristotle, His Method, Books, Politics, Evaluation, Critical Appreciation, Plato and Aristotle Contrasted, Differences, Aristotle as First Political Scientist and his Contribution to Political Science, Difference in Form and Method, Other Differences, Difference between Plato and Aristotle, Ideas about Rule of Law, Constitutional Rule better than rule of Enlightened Despot, Aristotle Practical, View on Constitution, Importance of Aristotle, Importance of Law, Views on Democracy, Division of Power, Practical Wisdom, Politics Natural to Man, Necessity of State, State Natural, Importance of Family, State is Necessary for Progress, The Ends of State, Aristotles Views on Slavery, Criticism, Arbitrary Division, Racial Prejudice, Illogical Reasoning, Status quo, Autocrates Exploitation and Disharmony, Unnatural Distinction, Aristotles Conception of Revolution, Causes of Revolutions, Differences, Specific Causes, Prevention of Revolutions, Importance of Education, Tyranny, Distributive Justice, Criticism, Aristotle Aims for Life of Virture and Happiness, Best Government According to Aristotle, Classification of States, Population, Territory or Size. Character of People, Classes in the State, Education, Other things, Criticism, Citizenship, Criticisms, Conclusion, Aristotles View about Family, Property, Classification of Constitution, His Distinction Between State and Government, Sovereignty, Sovereignty of Law, Usefulness and Importance of Law, Classification, Cycle of Change, Criticism, Evaluation, Law, Communism, Effimism, Ethics, Education, Ideal of City States, Democracy, Similarity in Details, Exclusive Citizenship or Aristocratic Temper, Classification of a State, Direct Participation, Slavery, Conclusion, Comparison, Platos Ideas, Criticism. 4. Greek Political Thought After Aristotle, Epicureanism and Stoicism (Zeno, Crates, Aristipus) Impact of Alexanders Empire, Cause of Decline of City States, Rise of Stocism, Impact of Big Empires, Rise of New Ideas, Epicureanism. Stoicism, Patriotism, High Civic Sense, Idealistic but Practical, Harmonious Mixture of Ethics and Politics, Common Life, Secular and Rational, Democracy, Liberty and Authority, Freedom of Conscience or Freedom of Thought and Expression, Love for Freedom, Equality, Justice, Education, Sovereignty of Law, Constitutionalism, Effinimism, Theory of International Relations, Natural Law. 5. Roman Political Thought (Saneca, Cicero and Justinian) Political Career of Rome, Roman Political Institutions, Impact of Greek on Rome, Development of Rome Law, Development of Law under Roman Empire, Roman Concept of Law, Social Contract and Theory of Natural Rights, Popular Sovereignty, Imperium, Conception of Universal Brotherhood, Roman Contribution to Political thought, Polybius 204 to 102 B.C., Classification of Government, Mixed Type most Stable and Best, Cicero (106 to 53 B.C.), Importance, Difference with Plato, Classification of States, Natural Laws, Belief in Equality, Growth of Jus Gentium, Direct Effect about the growth of Jus Gentium, Corpus Juris or Code of Justinian, Importance of Roman Law. 6. Christian Political Thought (St. Paul and St. Augustine) The Growth of Popacy, Roman Empire and Roman Catholic Church, Popacy and the Holy Roman Empire, Legacy of Greek and Rome, Doctrine of two Swords, Conflict, St. Augustine (345 to 403 A.D.), De Civitate Dei, His Views about State, Property and Slavery, Influence. 7. Medieval Political Thought (St. Paul, Pope & Greagory VII) Universalism, Supremacy of Church, Monarchical Conception of Government, Holy Roman Empire, Representative Government, Feudalism, Development of Guilds, Corporations, Growth and Concept of Law of Nature in the Middle Ages, Representative Government, Constitutional Monarchy, Legal System, Feudalism of middle ages. 8. Controversy between Church and The State (St. Paul, Pope Greagory VII, Innocent III) Supremacy of Pope, The Ecclesiastical Claim for Supremacy, Criticism, The Secular Claim, Secular Arguments. 9. Supporters of Papal Supremacy (Greagory VII, John of Salisbury, Thomas Acquinas) John of Salisbury, Ideas of John Salisbury, St. Thomas Acquinas (1227-1274), St. Thomas Acquians, Life, Environment, Work, His Views about State, Classification of Government, Supremacy of Church, Law, Evaluation. 10. Supporters of Secularist Supremacy (John of Paris, Marsiglio of Padua and Dante) John of Paris, Early Life, His Views about States, Defence of Property, Limited Authority of Church, Marsiglio of Padua (1270-1340), Life and Ideas, On State, Law, The Organs of Government, Popular Sovereignty, Church, Other Views, Dante (1265-1321), Dantes De Monarchia, De Monarchia His Book, Church and the Empire, Defence of Empire, Comparison with Acquina and Salisbury, William of Occam, Arguments against Supremacy of Pope, Conclusion. 11. The Conciliar Movement and Some Medieval Conceptions Environment, Purpose, Arguments for General Council, Causes of its Failure, Significance of the Conciliar Movement, John Gerson, Nicholas of Gusa, Medieval Idea of Kingship, Law, Idea of Representation, Natural Law, Corporations, Popular Sovereignty. 12. Renaissance and Machiavelli (1469-1527) The Renaissance, Machiavelli (1469-1527), His Books, Environment, Influence, His Importance, Environment, His Spititual Ancestry and Method, Historical Method, His Conception of Human Nature, Separation of Politics and Ethics, His Erastianism, The Doctrine of Aggrandisement, Attitude towards Religion and Morality, Impact, Conclusion, National State, Patriotism, Human Nature, Evaluation. 13. Reformation Luther Martin and Calvin Influence, General Political Influence, Life, Ideas, Calvin, Life, Ideas. 14. The Theory of Sovereignty Bodin and Crotius Law of Nature, Family and the State, Citizenship, Sovereignty, Limitation of absolute Sovereignty, Criticism, Bodins Importance, Bodin on Revolution, Causes of Revolution, Differences, Evaluation, Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), Life, His Percursors, Natural Law, Law of Nations or Jus Gentium, Sovereignty, Sovereignty and International Law. 15. Seventeenth Century Thought Some Minor Thinkers Sir Thomas More and his Utopia, Utopia, Richard Hooker, Political Ideas of John Milton, Life, Views, Robert Filmer and His Political Thought, Benedict Spinoza, Views.