Reflections on Political Theory

Download or read book Reflections on Political Theory written by N. Wood and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2002-01-01 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this thought-provoking study, Neal Wood challenges the conception of political theory as a lofty discipline remote from the world of real politics. Drawing on the examples of thinkers from Plato to those of the nineteenth century, he attempts to define political theory by examining the nature of the state and politics, by identifying the major characteristics that their theories share and by analyzing the conditions that have favoured their creation. Wood critically explores the two principle approaches to studying the work of past theorists - the philosophical and historical - and evaluates the relevance of Marxism. The various theories are not treated as blueprints but collectively as a voice of reason from the past, which can inspire and guide present and future theorizing.