ABSTRACT
In this chapter the concepts which underlie and determine the values of political life will be explored. At the same time, this conceptual exploration of political life will be related to the issues and disputes which colour the atmosphere of contemporary political debate and practice. In specific terms, the concepts of freedom, rights, justice and equality are examined. They are related to concrete problems, including the dilemmas of the Rushdie case, animal welfare and the welfare state. The practical questions arising out of these issues are shown to involve conceptual questions which render their theoretical analysis useful in a way which emphasises the vitality of political theory.
