Freedom Is Power - Liberty Through Political Representation

"Using the history of political thought and real world political contexts, including South Africa and the recent global financial crisis, this book argues that power is integral to freedom. It demonstrates how freedom depends upon power, and contends that liberty for all citizens is best maintained if conceived as power through political representation. Against those who depoliticize freedom through a romantic conception of 'the people' and faith in supposedly independent judicial and political institutions, Lawrence Hamilton argues that real modern freedom can only be achieved through representative and participative mechanisms that limit domination and empower classes and groups who become disempowered in the conflicts that inevitably pervade politics.This is a sophisticated contribution to contemporary political theory that will be of interest to scholars and students of history, politics, philosophy, economics, sociology, development studies and southern African studies"--

List of contents

Introduction; 1. Freedom from politics; 2. Freedom through politics; 3. Power, domination and human needs; 4. Real modern freedom; 5. Freedom and representation; 6. Can and ought our political representatives control the economy?; Conclusion.

About the author

Lawrence Hamilton is Professor of Political Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, and an Affiliated Lecturer in Political Theory in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge. He is the author of The Political Philosophy of Needs (Cambridge, 2003).

Product details

• Authors: Lawrence Hamilton, Lawrence (University of the Witwatersran Hamilton, Lawrence (University of the Witwatersrand Hamilton, Hamilton Lawrence
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.07.2014
• EAN: 9781107062962
• ISBN: 978-1-107-06296-2
• No. of pages: 244
• Series: Contemporary Political Theory; Contemporary Political Theory
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory, Politics & government, Social & political philosophy, Political science & theory, Political science and theory