ABSTRACT

First published in 1953, this seminal introduction to political philosophy is intended for both the student of political theory and for the general reader. After an introduction which explains the nature and purpose of philosophy, Dr Murray provides a critical examination of the principle theories advanced by political philosophers from Plato to Marx, paying special attention to contemporary issues.

The book also makes an attempt to define the essential issues of philosophical significance in contemporary politics, with special reference to the conflict between political authority and individual rights, and to show how the different moral assumptions underlying authoritarian and democratic systems of government are ultimately based upon different theories of logic.

chapter II|7 pages

The Political Theories of the Sophists

chapter III|13 pages

Plato’s Theory of the Ideal State

chapter VI|7 pages

Machiavelli on the Science of Government

chapter VII|12 pages

Hobbes’s Theory of the Rational State

chapter VIII|9 pages

Locke’s Theory of the Moral State

chapter IX|10 pages

Rousseau’s Theory of the General Will

chapter XI|9 pages

Hegel’s Idealist Theory of the State

chapter XII|14 pages

The Utilitarian Theories of Bentham and Mill

chapter XIII|17 pages

MARXISM, COMMUNISM AND SOCIALISM

chapter XIV|11 pages

Political Philosophy in Contemporary Politics

chapter XV|10 pages

The Justification of Government