What are the intellectual roots of Western liberalism, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? Our interviews on social and political philosophy recommend books that explore these and related questions from every angle.
On a general level two professors of politics, Gary Bass and John Tasioulas both choose their best (and very different) books on the subject of human rights. The philosopher Cecile Fabre chooses hers on war and the ethical dilemmas it throws up. Philosopher Carlos Fraenkel chooses his best books on philosophy in a divided world and Jonathan Wolff, professor of public policy at Oxford, chooses his best books on political philosophy.
Turning specifically to the liberal tradition, historian Eric Foner discusses the evolution of liberalism, focusing on American liberalism over the past 50 years. And Franklin Foer, editor of the New Republic, looks at the roots of liberalism, with a slightly longer perspective. Peter Berkowitz, fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford, talks about liberty and morality. Professor Timothy Stanton chooses his best books on toleration and John Gray, emeritus professor of political thought at the LSE, looks at critiques of utopia and apocalypse. Journalist Trevor Phillips gives us his best books on equality and Will Hutton his on fairness and equality. Maria Sveland talks about feminism, Kurt Barling looks at racism and Kwame Anthony Appiah at honour.
Gary Gutting looks at Foucault and Terrell Carver at Marx and Marxism, arguing that Marx was, in mid-19th-century terms, a liberal. US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer discusses his intellectual influences. Henry Hardy chooses his best books on Isaiah Berlin.
The best books on Prison Abolition, recommended by Tommie Shelby
With almost two million people in prison in the US on any given day, it’s clear that something is going badly wrong. The question is what to do about it. Harvard philosopher Tommie Shelby talks us through five books by thinkers of the past 150 years who have argued that abolishing prisons is the only solution.
The Best Thomas Hobbes Books, recommended by Arash Abizadeh
Thomas Hobbes’s master work Leviathan, in which he argued for the need to unite under a powerful sovereign as part of a ‘social contract’, has become a cornerstone of Western political philosophy. Here, the philosopher and political scientist Arash Abizadeh selects five of the best books for understanding Hobbes’s arguments in their historical context.
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Discourses on Livy
by Niccolo Machiavelli, trans. Harvey Mansfield and Nathan Tarcov -
2
The New Science of Giambattista Vico: Unabridged Translation of the Third Edition (1744)
by Giambattista Vico, trans. Max Harold Fisch and Thomas Goddard Bergin -
3
The History of European Liberalism
by Guido De Ruggiero, trans. R. G. Collingwood -
4
Prison Notebooks
by Antonio Gramsci, trans. Joseph A. Buttigieg and Antonio Callari -
5
Liberalism and Democracy
by Norberto Bobbio, trans. Martin Ryle and Kate Soper
The best books on Italian Political Philosophy, recommended by Guglielmo Verdirame
The best books on Italian Political Philosophy, recommended by Guglielmo Verdirame
Italy has a rich tradition of political philosophy, producing a number of thinkers with both practical experience and a cosmopolitan outlook. Here Guglielmo Verdirame, Professor of International Law at King’s College London, talks us through the five most important Italian political philosophers, and the best books to read to understand their work.
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Violence and the Word
by Robert Cover -
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The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander -
3
Black against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party
by Joshua Bloom & Waldo E. Martin Jr. -
4
Critique of Violence
by Walter Benjamin -
5
The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1978–1979
by Michel Foucault
The best books on State, Power and Violence, recommended by Geoffroy de Lagasnerie
The best books on State, Power and Violence, recommended by Geoffroy de Lagasnerie
French philosopher and sociologist Geoffroy de Lagasnerie argues for a more realist political theory, one that fully acknowledges that state violence is the one thing in your life that you can never escape. His selection includes works by Michel Foucault and Walter Benjamin, as well as a history of the Black Panther Party.
The best books on War, recommended by Cécile Fabre
If killing is wrong, how can going to war be justified? Is it always wrong to kill civilians? If a Nazi soldier were billeted in your home, should you respond when he greets you? Philosopher Cécile Fabre chooses Five Books that help explore the profound ethical dilemmas of war.
Peter Singer on Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
The nineteenth century saw not only a widespread interest in philosophical ideas but also philosophy’s development as a more rigorous discipline. Australian philosopher Peter Singer introduces us to the highlights of a century of philosophy books.
The best books on Foucault, recommended by Gary Gutting
“Do not ask who I am and do not ask me to remain the same,” wrote Michel Foucault; a brilliant transdisciplinarian whose work spanned philosophy, history, social theory and literary criticism. He mined past ways of thinking so as to see present-day assumptions and practices afresh, explains the philosopher Gary Gutting.
The best books on Marx and Marxism, recommended by Terrell Carver
Few people have had their ideas reinvented as many times as the German intellectual and political activist, Karl Marx. Professor of political theory, Terrell Carver, takes us through the most influential books, in English, about Marx, Marxism and his friend, publicist and financial backer, Friedrich Engels.
The best books on Racism, recommended by Kurt Barling
The concept of ‘race’ is misleading and inaccurate, argues Kurt Barling, Professor of Journalism at the University of Middlesex and author of The R Word: Racism and Modern Society. He recommends the best books to think about racism.
The best books on Human Rights, recommended by John Tasioulas
What are human rights? Are they reducible to the rights enshrined in law or do they somehow objectively exist? Philosopher John Tasioulas picks the best five books on human rights.
The Best Isaiah Berlin Books, recommended by Henry Hardy
He was one of the great intellectuals of the 20th century, but a people person with little interest in publishing books. Henry Hardy, the editor who helped publish many of them, chooses the best books by (and one about) Isaiah Berlin.
The best books on Philosophy in a Divided World, recommended by Carlos Fraenkel
The philosopher argues that a culture of debate, in which people of all backgrounds can openly discuss the truth, is philosophy’s real answer to conflict.
The best books on Political Philosophy, recommended by Jonathan Wolff
British philosopher Jonathan Wolff chooses five books by thinkers who have shaped the field of political philosophy. He explores the experiences that influenced each writer, saying ‘it’s very rare for philosophers to say very much about their history and what brought them to the views they have’.
The best books on Feminism, recommended by Maria Sveland
The feminist author chooses liberating literature for women, from Virginia Woolf to Erica Jong. She says that men still don’t share equal responsibility in the home, and that life after divorce can be easier.
The best books on Honour, recommended by Kwame Anthony Appiah
The Princeton philosophy professor tells us about the meaning of honour, how it’s won and lost, and what role it has played in the history of moral change
Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences
US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer talks about the books that have influenced his thinking and explains why reading widely, including literature, is essential for judges and lawyers.
The best books on The Evolution of Liberalism, recommended by Eric Foner
Historian Eric Foner chooses five books illustrating how concepts of American liberalism have changed over the past 50 years, and about the tension that lies at the heart of liberalism today.
Critiques of Utopia and Apocalypse, recommended by John Gray
Is it inevitable that the desire to build a perfect world should end in disaster? John Gray considers the flaws in utopian thinking and the essential nature of humans. He recommends the best critiques of utopia and apocalypse.
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Principles of Social Justice
by David Miller -
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The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger
by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett -
3
Inequality Reexamined
by Amartya Sen -
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Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten The World Economy
by Raghuram G Rajan -
5
Chavs
by Owen Jones
The best books on Fairness and Inequality, recommended by Will Hutton
The best books on Fairness and Inequality, recommended by Will Hutton
What is the difference between fairness and equality? In contemporary capitalist societies, some inequality is inevitable and desirable. But the rewards for the few at the top have soared while the rest have been squeezed. Is this fair? We need a new social contract, says the author and columnist
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Sharp’s Dictionary of Power and Struggle
by Gene Sharp -
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Defeating Authoritarian Leaders in Postcommunist Countries
by Valerie Bunce and Sharon Wolchik -
3
Why Civil Resistance Works
by Erica Chenoweth and Maria J Stephan -
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People Power and Political Change
by April Carter -
5
The Lady and the Peacock
by Peter Popham
The best books on Civil Resistance, recommended by Sir Adam Roberts
The best books on Civil Resistance, recommended by Sir Adam Roberts
From Tunisia to Tahrir, Moscow to Manhattan, civil resistance is back. The British Academy president, and eminent student of people power, tells us how modern non-violent action began, and where it’s most likely to succeed
The best books on The Roots of Liberalism, recommended by Franklin Foer
Our weekly series on American progressivism continues with the journalist and author discussing the genesis of liberalism – and how the Civil War remade politics
The best books on Communism, recommended by Robert Conquest
Esteemed historian of the Soviet Union recommends five books on Communism, from novels and personal narratives to theoretical works.
The best books on Liberty and Morality, recommended by Peter Berkowitz
The Hoover Institution scholar explores five books that he believes teach us something about how we are “failing to understand, appreciate and defend our liberty”
The best books on Assassination, recommended by Lindsay Porter
Lindsay Porter, author and cultural historian who has published widely on conspiracy theories, discusses five books on the different concepts of politically motivated killing and asks whether assassination can ever be justified
The best books on Equality, recommended by Trevor Phillips
The chairman of the Equalities & Human Rights Commission says discrimination and social injustice won’t be changed by what happens in courtrooms or parliament but by how we all behave
The best books on Maverick Political Thought, recommended by Chibli Mallat
The lawyer who prosecuted Ariel Sharon discusses the brilliance of maverick political thinkers and says: “It takes at least a generation to establish democracy.” Highlights work of philosopher Gilles Deleuze above all
The best books on Toleration, recommended by Timothy Stanton
Toleration is an ideal of conduct which involves putting up with something you find objectionable, says Professor Timothy Stanton. He chooses the best five books on toleration, from John Locke to more recent works.
The best books on Human Rights, recommended by Gary Bass
Political scientist Gary Bass picks the five best books on human rights (this article was published on June 24th, 2009)