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Faced with political scandal, broken promises and the seeming impotence of governments in the face of economic globalization, cynicism about politics is rampant in the established democracies of the west. Meanwhile, the 'Arab Spring' of 2011 saw people out on the streets willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of the very political freedoms others took for granted. Against this backdrop, Bernard Crick's classic remains as important and inspiring a read as ever. First published in 1962 and regularly revised up until its final edition in 2002, this book argues passionately that politics - however messy and complex it might be and for all its seeming compromises and bitter divisions - is a vital freedom that we take for granted at our peril. It is also a freedom that must be constantly defended against the pressures of narrow ideologies, small-minded national self-interest and the short term populism of career politicians.
List of contents
Preface to the Fifth Edition Acknowledgements 1. The Bature of Political Rule 2. A Defence of Politics Against Ideology 3. A Defence of Politics Against Democracy 4. A Defence of Politics against Nationalism 5. A Defence of Politics Against Technology 6. A Defence of Politics Against False Friends The non-political conservative The a-political liberal The anti-political socialist 7. In Praise of Politics Three Footnotes A Footnote to Rally the Academic Professors of Politics (1964) A Footnote to Rally Fellow Socialists (1982) A Final Footnote to Rally Those Who Grudge the Price (1992) Epilogue (2000)
Report
'He has written an exceedingly clever and disturbing book on important issues. All that he writes is alive and much of what he says, even when it seems perversely provocative, turns out to be penetrating and serious.' Isaiah Berlin, 20th Century Blurb from reviewer
