Description: A one-stop guide to the "Essential Thinkers" in political philosophy, from Confucius to Marx; this book shines the light of political reason into the darkest corners of our troubled modern times.
Brief description: James Bernard Murphy is Professor of Government at Dartmouth College, where he teaches political philosophy, jurisprudence, and ethics. Before becoming a professor, Murphy worked as an urban planner in the City of New York, where he was born. He received his Masters of City Planning from M.I.T. and his B.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University. Murphy's scholarly books include The Moral Economy of Labor (1993), Your Whole Life: Beyond Childhood and Adulthood (2020), and Deification in Classical Greek Philosophy and the Bible (forthcoming 2024). He has also written for a wider audience in his books How to Think Politically (with Graeme Garrard, 2019), Haunted by Paradise: A Philosopher's Quest for Biblical Answers to Key Moral Questions (2021), The Third Sword: On the Political Role of Prophets (forthcoming, 2023), and in essays for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.
Review Quotes:
"A wonderful introduction to history's most influential scribblers, filled with clear explanations and engaging detail." --Steven Pinker, author of 'Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress'
"The authors have written a kind of Plutarch's Lives of the great political philosophers. Their lively and engaging style make even the most abstract ideas come alive. This is a book that can be read and enjoyed by all." --Steven B. Smith, Alfred Cowles Professor of Political Science, Yale University, author of Political Philosophy "An elegant meditation on political power ... Garrard and Murphy take a self-critical view of citizenship, insisting that "you may not care about politics, but politics cares about you"" --Eric Beerbohm, Professor of Government, Harvard University "This book offers an excellent preparation for those who seek to distinguish the best from the worst in political life." --Michael D. Gillespie, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, Duke University