Social and Political Philosophy - A Contemporary Introduction

This accessible book is invaluable to anyone coming to social and political philosophy for the first time. It provides a broad survey of key social and political questions in modern society, as well as clear discussions of the philosophical issues central to those questions and to political thought more generally. Unique among books of this kind is a sustained treatment of specifically social philosophy, including topics such as epistemic injustice, pornography, marriage, sexuality, and the family. The relation between such social questions and specifically political topics is discussed. These topics include: political authority, economic justice, the limits of tolerance, considerations of community, race, gender, and culture in questions of justice, and radical critiques of current political theories. Updates to the Second Edition emphasize the non-statist areas of the subject and include two brand new chapters on social philosophy and transnational justice. This Second Edition also includes revisions throughout and coverage of recent theoretical discussions and world events.

List of contents

Table of Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments

1. Introduction
The Liberal Democratic Paradigm
Preliminaries I: Method
Preliminaries II: Moral Theory and Political Philosophy
Structure of the Book
Notes on Further Reading

2. Social Philosophy and the Road to the Political
What is Social Philosophy?
A Selection of Issues in Social Philosophy
From Social Criticism to Political Philosophy
Chapter Summary
Case to Consider
Notes on Further Reading
 

Part I. Basic Issues Within the Liberal Paradigm

3. The Problem of Political Authority
The Social Contract Tradition
Hobbes's Social Contract: Mechanism, Egoism, and Rationality
Locke: Reason, Morality, and Freedom
Lessons from Rousseau and Kant
From Consent to Legitimacy
Chapter Summary
Case to Consider
Notes on Further Reading

4. Distributive Justice
Distributive Justice and Equality
Libertarianism
Utilitarian Approaches to Economic Justice
Rawlsian Distributive Justice
Varieties of Egalitarianism
From Equality to the Welfare State
Chapter Summary
Case to Consider
Notes on Further Reading

5. Toleration, Pluralism, and the Foundations of Liberalism
The Canons of Liberalism
The Perfectionist Challenge
Utilitarian Liberalism: Perfectionism in Disguise?
The Response of Political Liberalism
Liberalism, Public Discourse, and Democracy
Chapter Summary
Case to Consider
Notes on Further Reading
 

Part II. Critique of the Liberal Paradigm: Challenges and Departures

6. Conservatism, Communitarianism, and The Social Conception of the Self
Conservatism
Communitarianism
Chapter Summary
Case to Consider
Notes on Further Reading
7. Race and the Politics of Identity
Ideal Theory and Ongoing Injustice
Critical Race Theory
What is Racism, What is Race?
Racism and The Structure of Liberalism
Liberalism, Freedom and Culture
Chapter Summary
Case to Consider
Notes on Further Reading
8. Feminism, Gender and Sexuality
Feminism
Sexuality and Gender Identity
Identity, Injustice, and Democracy
Chapter Summary
Case to Consider
Notes on Further Reading

9. Marxism and Radical Critique
The Legacy of Marx and Marxism
Post-Modern Departures
Chapter Summary
Case to Consider
Notes on Further Reading

10. Beyond the Nation State
Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism
Human Rights
Global Justice Generally
Injustice and Borders: Immigration
Chapter Summary
Case to Consider
Notes on Further Reading

Epilogue: The Hope of Liberalism?

About the author

John Christman is Professor of Philosophy, Political Science, and Women’s Studies at Penn State University. He is the author of The Politics of Persons: Individual Autonomy and Socio-historical Selves and The Myth of Property: Toward an Egalitarian Theory of Ownership. He is also the editor of The Inner Citadel: Essays on Individual Autonomy and co-editor (with Joel Anderson) of Autonomy and the Challenges to Liberalism: New Essays.

Summary

This accessible book is invaluable to anyone coming to social and political philosophy for the first time. It provides a broad survey of key social and political questions in modern society, as well as clear discussions of the philosophical issues central to those questions and to political thought more generally. Unique among books of this kind is a sustained treatment of specifically social philosophy, including topics such as epistemic injustice, pornography, marriage, sexuality, and the family. The relation between such social questions and specifically political topics is discussed. These topics include: political authority, economic justice, the limits of tolerance, considerations of community, race, gender, and culture in questions of justice, and radical critiques of current political theories. Updates to the Second Edition emphasize the non-statist areas of the subject and include two brand new chapters on social philosophy and transnational justice. This Second Edition also includes revisions throughout and coverage of recent theoretical discussions and world events.

Additional text

"It was hard to improve upon the first edition of Christman’s Social and Political Philosophy. But he has done it! In his second edition, Christman has updated his text and included two new cutting-edge chapters. The result is a truly excellent introductory text for our times."
--James P. Sterba, University of Notre Dame
"Christman's Introduction into Social and Political Philosophy is without any doubt the most comprehensive and knowledgeable introduction we have at present. It is not only a thoughtful overview over all important philosophical traditions (not only the Anglo-American ones) but also all essential problems – from issues in marriage, gender or race to normative problems in human rights, global justice or immigration. It is unique in its close look at the complex links between the social issues and their role in different political conceptions. Christman helps us all to better understand social and political philosophy, and thereby to better understand contemporary societies and our place within them."
--Beate Roessler, University of Amsterdam
"Christman’s Introduction offers an impressively comprehensive, highly engaging and very accessible survey of the interconnected issues at the heart of political and social philosophy. The 1st edition has helped generations of students navigate the complexities of these philosophical fields – and the students in our courses loved it. If anything, this new expanded and updated 2nd edition will prove even more successful."
--Robin Celikates, University of Amsterdam

Report

"It was hard to improve upon the first edition of Christman's Social and Political Philosophy. But he has done it! In his second edition, Christman has updated his text and included two new cutting-edge chapters. The result is a truly excellent introductory text for our times."
--James P. Sterba, University of Notre Dame
"Christman's Introduction into Social and Political Philosophy is without any doubt the most comprehensive and knowledgeable introduction we have at present. It is not only a thoughtful overview over all important philosophical traditions (not only the Anglo-American ones) but also all essential problems - from issues in marriage, gender or race to normative problems in human rights, global justice or immigration. It is unique in its close look at the complex links between the social issues and their role in different political conceptions. Christman helps us all to better understand social and political philosophy, and thereby to better understand contemporary societies and our place within them."
--Beate Roessler, University of Amsterdam
"Christman's Introduction offers an impressively comprehensive, highly engaging and very accessible survey of the interconnected issues at the heart of political and social philosophy. The 1^st edition has helped generations of students navigate the complexities of these philosophical fields - and the students in our courses loved it. If anything, this new expanded and updated 2^nd edition will prove even more successful."
--Robin Celikates, University of Amsterdam

Product details

• Authors: John Christman, Christman John
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 03.10.2017
• EAN: 9781138841659
• ISBN: 978-1-138-84165-9
• No. of pages: 282
• Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy; Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; PHILOSOPHY / General, Social Theory, PHILOSOPHY / Political, PHILOSOPHY / Criticism, Social & political philosophy, Political science & theory, Ethics & moral philosophy, social and political philosophy, Ethics and moral philosophy, Political science and theory