Concepts of Leadership in Western Political Thought

Having established a persuasive conception of leadership, Rejai and Phillips apply it to major thinkers from Plato to Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson. They find a major shift in leadership theory associated with World War II. Prewar theories are seen as limited and defective in that they posit a vision on the part of the leader and his ability to impose that vision on the followers; postwar theories stress, in addition, a shared vision and leader-follower interaction.

A leader's view of leadership, Rejai and Phillips find, is constrained by the person's conception of human nature; the lighter the conception of human nature, the more flexible the nature of leadership; the darker the view of human nature, the more rigid the nature of leadership. This book will be of particular interest to scholars, students, and other researchers involved with political theory and leadership studies.

List of contents

Preface
Introduction
Greek Leadership Thought Before Plato
Plato and the Philosopher-King
Natural Law as Leadership Agency
Christianity as Leadership Agency
Machiavelli and the Prince
Social Contract as Leadership Agency
Carlyle and the Hero
Nietzsche and the Superman
Weber and Charismatic Leadership
Freud and the Ego Ideal
Erikson and Identity Crisis
Conclusion
Appendix: Leaderless Societies
Bibliography
Index

About the author

Mostafa Rejai, Kay Philips

Product details

• Authors: Kay Philips, Mostafa Rejai, Rejai Mostafa
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.07.2002
• EAN: 9780275978013
• ISBN: 978-0-275-97801-3
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / General, Political leaders & leadership, Sociology & anthropology, Sociology and anthropology, Political leaders and leadership, Politics, Law, and Government: History