Table of Contents

1. Why Despots Don't Belong in Politics; 2. The Classical Greeks: How to be a Citizen; 3. The Romans: The Real Meaning of Patriotism; 4. Christianity and the Rise of the Individual; 5. Constructing the Modern State; 6. How to Analyse a Modern State; 7. Relations between States: How to Balance Power; 8. The Experience of Politics: I - How to be an Activist; 9. The Experience of Politics: II - Parties and Doctrines; 10. The Experience of Politics: III - Justice,
Freedom, and Democracy; 11. Studying Politics Scientifically; 12. Ideology Challenges Politics; 13. Can Politics Survive the Twenty-first Century? Further Reading; Index

About the Author

Kenneth Minogue, formerly Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics, and author of a number of books, including he Liberal Mind (1961), Nationalsim (1967), and Alien Powers: The Pure Theory of Idealogy (1985), as well as academic essays on a great range of problems in political theory.

Reviews

`This is a fascinating book which sketches, in a very short space, one view of the nature of politics the reader is challenged, provoked and stimulated by Minogue's trenchant views.'
Ian Davies, Talking Politics
`a dazzling but unpretentious display of great scholarship and humane reflection.'
Neil O'Sullivan, University of Hull
`Professor Minogue's slim volume is an admirably light and sensible guide to political practitioners and students who want to learn more about the theoretical and historical context of today's controversies.'
Sir Philip Goodhart
`Kenneth Minogue is a very lively stylist who does not distort difficult ideas.'
Maurice Cranston
`Minogue is an admirable choice for showing us the nuts and bolts of the subject.'
Nicholas Lezard, Guardian