What You Need to Know About A History of Political Theory by George Sabine PDF
A History of Political Theory by George Sabine PDF Files
If you are interested in learning about the development of political thought from ancient times to modern times, you might want to read A History of Political Theory by George Sabine. This book is one of the most comprehensive and authoritative works on the subject, covering various thinkers, schools, and movements that shaped the political ideas and institutions of different civilizations. In this article, we will give you an overview of the book, its main features, and how you can access it online in PDF format.
A History Of Political Theory By George Sabine Pdf Files
Introduction
Before we dive into the details of the book, let us first introduce its author, the concept of political theory, and the significance of this book for students and scholars of politics.
Who was George Sabine?
George Holland Sabine (1880-1961) was an American philosopher and historian who specialized in political philosophy and intellectual history. He taught at Cornell University for most of his career and served as the president of the American Philosophical Association in 1944. He was also a prolific writer who published several books and articles on various topics such as ethics, logic, metaphysics, aesthetics, and education. However, he is best known for his magnum opus, A History of Political Theory, which he first published in 1937 and revised several times until his death.
What is political theory?
Political theory is a branch of political science that studies the nature, origin, purpose, and justification of political ideas, institutions, and practices. It also examines the problems, challenges, and possibilities of political life in different contexts and times. Political theory draws on various sources such as philosophy, history, sociology, psychology, economics, law, religion, literature, and art to analyze and evaluate political phenomena. Political theory can be divided into two main types: normative and empirical. Normative political theory deals with questions of what ought to be done or how things should be in politics. Empirical political theory deals with questions of what is or how things are in politics.
Why is this book important?
A History of Political Theory by George Sabine is one of the most important books in political theory because it provides a comprehensive and systematic account of the evolution of political thought from ancient Greece to the twentieth century. It covers not only the major figures and schools of political philosophy such as Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Rawls but also lesser-known thinkers and movements such as medieval scholastics, Renaissance humanists, Enlightenment rationalists, romanticists, utilitarians, socialists, anarchists, feminists, and pragmatists. It also explores the connections between political theory and other fields such as ethics, religion, law, history, and culture. It offers a critical and balanced assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and perspective. It also shows how political theory is relevant to contemporary issues and challenges such as democracy, human rights, justice, equality, liberty, authority, power, violence, war, peace, and globalization.
Main features of the book
Now that we have introduced the author, the concept, and the importance of the book, let us look at some of its main features, such as its scope, organization, themes, and perspectives.
Scope and organization
The book covers the history of political theory from the ancient Greek city-states to the modern nation-states. It is divided into four parts, each consisting of several chapters. The first part deals with the origins and development of political theory in ancient Greece and Rome. The second part deals with the transformation and revival of political theory in medieval Europe and the Renaissance. The third part deals with the emergence and expansion of political theory in modern Europe and America. The fourth part deals with the diversification and specialization of political theory in the twentieth century. Each chapter focuses on a specific thinker, school, or movement and discusses their historical context, main ideas, arguments, influences, and implications.
Themes and perspectives
The book explores various themes and perspectives that recur throughout the history of political theory. Some of these themes are: the nature and purpose of politics; the relation between politics and morality; the role of reason and emotion in politics; the sources and limits of political authority; the forms and functions of political institutions; the rights and duties of citizens; the principles and criteria of political justice; the modes and methods of political change; the causes and consequences of political conflict; the goals and ideals of political order. Some of these perspectives are: realism and idealism; individualism and collectivism; liberalism and conservatism; nationalism and cosmopolitanism; democracy and dictatorship; secularism and religion; rationalism and empiricism; naturalism and historicism; relativism and universalism; pluralism and monism.
Strengths and weaknesses
The book has many strengths that make it a valuable resource for anyone interested in political theory. Some of these strengths are: its breadth and depth of coverage; its clarity and coherence of presentation; its accuracy and objectivity of information; its rigor and relevance of analysis; its synthesis and evaluation of arguments; its insight and wisdom of interpretation; its originality and creativity of contribution. However, the book also has some weaknesses that limit its usefulness for some readers. Some of these weaknesses are: its age and datedness of content; its bias and omission of perspectives; its complexity and difficulty of language; its length and density of text; its abstraction and detachment of style; its repetition and redundancy of points; its conservatism and resistance of innovation.
How to access the book online
If you want to read the book online, you have several options to choose from. However, you should also be aware of some tips and precautions before you do so.
Archive.org
One of the easiest ways to access the book online is through Archive.org, a non-profit digital library that offers free access to millions of books, movies, music, websites, and more. You can find several editions of A History of Political Theory by George Sabine on Archive.org in PDF format. You can either read them online or download them to your device. You can also borrow them for a limited time if you create a free account on Archive.org. However, you should check the quality and completeness of each file before you use it. Some files may be corrupted, incomplete, or inaccurate.
Other sources
Another way to access the book online is through other sources such as academic websites, online libraries, or file-sharing platforms. You can search for A History of Political Theory by George Sabine on Google or other search engines and see what results come up. You may find some links to PDF files that you can download or view online. However, you should be careful about the reliability and legality of these sources. Some sources may be unauthorized, unverified, or unsafe. You may also encounter some problems such as broken links, slow downloads, or malware infections.
Tips and precautions
A third way to access the book online is through tips and precautions that can help you avoid some common pitfalls and risks. Here are some tips and precautions that you should follow when you access the book online: - Compare different editions and versions of the book and choose the one that suits your needs best. - Check the date and publisher of each edition and version and make sure they are authentic and updated. - Read the reviews and ratings of each edition and version and see what other users have to say about them. - Scan each file for viruses or malware before you open or download it. - Use a reliable and legal source to access the book online. Some sources may be unauthorized, unverified, or unsafe. - Check the quality and completeness of the PDF file before you use it. Some files may be corrupted, incomplete, or inaccurate. - Scan the file for viruses or malware before you open or download it. Use a VPN or proxy service to protect your privacy and security when you access the file. - Compare different editions and versions of the book and choose the one that suits your needs best. Check the date and publisher of each edition and version and make sure they are authentic and updated. - Read the reviews and ratings of each edition and version and see what other users have to say about them. Conclusion
A History of Political Theory by George Sabine is a classic work that traces the development of political thought from ancient times to modern times. It covers various thinkers, schools, and movements that influenced the political ideas and institutions of different civilizations. It also explores various themes and perspectives that recur throughout the history of political theory. It offers a comprehensive and systematic account of the evolution of political thought, as well as a critical and balanced assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in political theory, whether as a student, scholar, or general reader. However, it is also an old and dated work that may have some bias, omission, complexity, difficulty, abstraction, repetition, redundancy, and conservatism. Therefore, it is important to access it online through reliable and legal sources, check the quality and completeness of the PDF file, scan it for viruses or malware, compare different editions and versions, and read the reviews and ratings.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about A History of Political Theory by George Sabine PDF files.
How many pages does the book have?
The book has different editions and versions that may have different numbers of pages. The first edition published in 1937 had 739 pages. The fourth edition published in 1973 had 916 pages.
How many chapters does the book have?
The book has four parts, each consisting of several chapters. The first part has six chapters, the second part has seven chapters, the third part has nine chapters, and the fourth part has eight chapters.
Who revised the book after Sabine's death?
The book was revised by Thomas Landon Thorson (1927-1991), an American political scientist who was a colleague and friend of Sabine at Cornell University. Thorson revised the third edition in 1961 and the fourth edition in 1973.
What are some of the criticisms of the book?
Some of the criticisms of the book are that it is too Eurocentric, too male-dominated, too elitist, too rationalist, too liberal, too conservative, too descriptive, too normative, too historical, too philosophical, too long, too dense, too boring, or too outdated.
What are some of the alternatives to the book?
Some of the alternatives to the book are: - A History of Western Political Thought by J.S. McClelland (1996) - A History of Modern Political Thought by Iain Hampsher-Monk (1992) - A History of Political Thought: From Ancient Greece to Early Christianity by Janet Coleman (2000) - A History of Political Thought: From Antiquity to Postmodernity by Niall Ferguson (2008) - A History of Political Ideas: From Antiquity to Postmodernity by Philippe Nemo (2013)
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