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Your basic guide to the subject
For the question of justice as fairness, the book that initiated much modern debate is.. John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (revised edition) (OUP, 1999)
Or head for the classic texts, such as...
Select by subject:
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The Open University
has a set of 10 free podcasts introducing issues in ethics and
political philosophy. Entitled 'Justice and Morality' you can
hear them by following this link:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=444080339 For those who are (or who are thinking about) taking a course in Politics, or taking a Political Philosophy module within a Philosophy Course, there are a good range of books to develop ideas outlined in the Teach Yourself book. Here are some suggestion...
To those coming new to political philosophy, there are some good general introductions. David Miller's very short introduction is readable and a good way of stimulating interest, while Wolff and Kymlicka are rather more substantial as student texts.
Two other useful books for students are Adam Swift's Contemporary Political Philosophy, and Michael White's Political Philosophy: an historical introduction.
Most books on political philosophy head straight into the fundamental concepts, but my preference is for getting a good historical perspective first. Hence I find the Michael White introduction particularly useful.
With all introductions to a subject, however, you get the attempt at a balanced view and a broad overview - that's what they are for. But for me, it is the classic texts that give the best feeling for how philosophers throughout the centuries have tackled political issues. Here you find polemic as well as balanced reason - thinkers who are keen to make a point and address an issue of the day. Like Marx, they wanted to change the world as much as comment on it. Here are some of my personal favourites...
But where do you start with these? My choice would be to read either Mill's On Liberty, or Machiavelli's The Prince. They are utterly different from one another, yet both deal with issues that are absolutely central to an enquiring approach to politics. Machiavelli is generally portrayed as cynical and as supporting the idea of a ruler who is quite without moral sensitivity. That's not really fair. What he is doing is looking at what is required of a ruler if the defence and integrity of a state is to be his (he wouldn't have considered a 'her' at that time) primary aim. This is wry questioning of the real world of power politics - removed from our own by the centuries that have intervened, but relevant for all that. On Liberty sets the liberal agenda, from that great utilitarian and campaigner for freedom and for the rights of women.
Buying in the USA? The links on this page are to Amazon in the UK, but to get the dollar price from Amazon.com, just follow this link and key in the search for the book you want...
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Political Philosophy is concerned with all these questions and many more. It is about good government – what it involves, how it is regulated and how it is brought about. It is about the principles that help us to decide whether or not any particular government is to be judged good or bad. And, of course, that requires an examination of the fundamental principles of government – why we need it, what its goals should be, how it is to be regulated and how, if it goes wrong, it may be repaired or replaced. from the Introduction to Understand Political Philosophy --------------- To me, the best political philosophy is directly engaged with the global issues of today. Fukuyama originally, with his The End of History, took the view that the democratic agenda was in effect the only show in town, and that everyone really wanted the benefits of democracy, although some nations would be slower in achieving it than others.
One of his more recent books, America at the Crossroads, published in 2006, challenges his earlier assumptions (which were in line with the neo-conservative agenda in the US) and examines America's place in the world. Fundamental issues here, presented in a way that is both readable and challenging.
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