Table of Contents

Prologue - the story of human society; key text - Plato's republic; Niccolo Machiavelli and the psychology of the state; key text - the discourses; Hobbes' "Wicked World"; key text - the Leviathan; John Locke - the true end of civil government; key text - essay concerning the true, original extent and end of civil government; Jean Jacques Rousseau - inequality or freedom?; key text - discourse of inequality; Adam Smith's inquiry into the wealth of nations; key text - an inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations; Marx and Engels - the communist manifesto; key text - the communist manifesto; the principles of political economy - J.S. Mill and the limits of government; key text - the principles of political economy; positivism and the science of society; key text - social rituals and sacred objects; behold the man!; the deceptive appeal of power - Hegel, Nietzsche and the fascists; key text - Ecce Homo; Maoism; key text - the Red Book; the end of history?.

About the Author

Martin Cohen is Research Fellow at University College of St. Mark and St. John, Plymouth, and author of 101 Philosophy Problems (Routledge, 1999).

Reviews

"This unusual book, hard to classify, is almost a handbook of the history of political philosophy -- but not quite. Not only does Cohen give his own idiosyncratic view of each [philosopher covered ( and his scope is broad, including politics and economics), he also exercises his own views on whom to include. The result is an interesting read for those who are conversant in the area. This is a very interesting retrospective of political philosophy and the insights of its myriad contributors to the understanding of contemporary political and economic phenomena. Recommended for sophisticated undergraduates and above." -- CHOICE"Cohen's approach is the only one that offers a broad sweep across the history of political thought starting with Plato's "Republic" and ending with Mao's "Little Red Book." This range is covered with surprising agility and clarity. The central advantages of this book are undoubtedly its lucidity, range and unorthodox approach to presenting key thinkers who have deeply influenced political philosophy." -- The Times, London