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Philosophy » Social & Political Philosophy

Most Recommended Books

On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

“On Liberty is the classic statement of traditional liberal values about the limits of state coercion. It’s an eloquent argument for personal liberty on the grounds that it’s the condition in which human beings are most likely to flourish and be happy.”

Jonathan Sumption,

Read more

Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations by Michael Walzer

“I should say that I disagree with many of the claims that Walzer makes in the book”

Cécile Fabre, Philosopher

Read more

Browse book recommendations:

Philosophy

  • Ancient Philosophy
  • Beliefs
  • Ethics & Moral Philosophy
  • Great Philosophers
  • How to Live
  • New Philosophy Books
  • Philosophical Issues & Topics
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Philosophy of...
  • Social & Political Philosophy
  • The Enlightenment

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 Italian Political Philosophy, recommended by Guglielmo Verdirame

  • Read
    The best books on Italian Political Philosophy - Discourses on Livy by Niccolo Machiavelli, trans. Harvey Mansfield and Nathan Tarcov

    1

    Discourses on Livy
    by Niccolo Machiavelli, trans. Harvey Mansfield and Nathan Tarcov

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    The best books on Italian Political Philosophy - The New Science of Giambattista Vico: Unabridged Translation of the Third Edition (1744) by Giambattista Vico, trans. Max Harold Fisch and Thomas Goddard Bergin

    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

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    The best books on Italian Political Philosophy - The History of European Liberalism by Guido De Ruggiero, trans. R. G. Collingwood

    3

    The History of European Liberalism
    by Guido De Ruggiero, trans. R. G. Collingwood

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    The best books on Italian Political Philosophy - Prison Notebooks by Antonio Gramsci, trans. Joseph A. Buttigieg and Antonio Callari

    4

    Prison Notebooks
    by Antonio Gramsci, trans. Joseph A. Buttigieg and Antonio Callari

  • Read
    The best books on Italian Political Philosophy - Liberalism and Democracy by Norberto Bobbio, trans. Martin Ryle and Kate Soper

    5

    Liberalism and Democracy
    by Norberto Bobbio, trans. Martin Ryle and Kate Soper

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.

    The best books on State, Power and Violence, recommended by Geoffroy de Lagasnerie

  • Read
    The best books on State - Violence and the Word by Robert Cover

    1

    Violence and the Word
    by Robert Cover

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    The best books on State - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

    2

    The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
    by Michelle Alexander

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    The best books on State - Black against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party by Joshua Bloom & Waldo E. Martin Jr.

    3

    Black against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party
    by Joshua Bloom & Waldo E. Martin Jr.

  • Read
    The best books on State - Critique of Violence by Walter Benjamin

    4

    Critique of Violence
    by Walter Benjamin

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    The best books on State - The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1978–1979 by Michel Foucault

    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

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

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    The best books on War - War and Peace (Book) by Leo Tolstoy

    1

    War and Peace (Book)
    by Leo Tolstoy

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    The best books on War - All quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

    2

    All quiet on the Western Front
    by Erich Maria Remarque

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    The best books on War - Le silence de la mer by Vercors

    3

    Le silence de la mer
    by Vercors

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    The best books on War - Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations by Michael Walzer

    4

    Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations
    by Michael Walzer

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    The best books on War - Killing in War by Jeff McMahan

    5

    Killing in War
    by Jeff McMahan

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

  • Read
    Peter Singer on Nineteenth-Century Philosophy - Phenomenology of Spirit by A. V. Miller & G. W. F. Hegel

    1

    Phenomenology of Spirit
    by A. V. Miller & G. W. F. Hegel

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    Peter Singer on Nineteenth-Century Philosophy - The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

    2

    The Communist Manifesto
    by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

  • Read
    Peter Singer on Nineteenth-Century Philosophy - On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

    3

    On Liberty
    by John Stuart Mill

  • Read
    Peter Singer on Nineteenth-Century Philosophy - The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin

    4

    The Descent of Man
    by Charles Darwin

  • Read
    Peter Singer on Nineteenth-Century Philosophy - The Methods of Ethics by Henry Sidgwick

    5

    The Methods of Ethics
    by Henry Sidgwick

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

  • Read
    The best books on Foucault - How to Read Foucault by Johanna Oksala

    1

    How to Read Foucault
    by Johanna Oksala

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    The best books on Foucault - The Philosophy of Foucault by Todd May

    2

    The Philosophy of Foucault
    by Todd May

  • Read
    The best books on Foucault - Bodies and Pleasures: Foucault and the Politics of Sexual Normalization by Ladelle McWhorter

    3

    Bodies and Pleasures: Foucault and the Politics of Sexual Normalization
    by Ladelle McWhorter

  • Read
    The best books on Foucault - The Cambridge Foucault Lexicon by (ed.) Leonard Lawlor and John Nale

    4

    The Cambridge Foucault Lexicon
    by (ed.) Leonard Lawlor and John Nale

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    The best books on Foucault - The Lives of Michel Foucault by David Macey

    5

    The Lives of Michel Foucault
    by David Macey

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

  • Read
    The best books on Marx and Marxism - Karl Marx by Isaiah Berlin

    1

    Karl Marx
    by Isaiah Berlin

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    The best books on Marx and Marxism - Karl Marx: His Life and Thought by David McLellan

    2

    Karl Marx: His Life and Thought
    by David McLellan

  • Read
    The best books on Marx and Marxism - Karl Marx's Theory of History by G. A. Cohen

    3

    Karl Marx's Theory of History
    by G. A. Cohen

  • Read
    The best books on Marx and Marxism - The Young Karl Marx by David Leopold

    4

    The Young Karl Marx
    by David Leopold

  • Read
    The best books on Marx and Marxism - Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life by Jonathan Sperber

    5

    Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life
    by Jonathan Sperber

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

  • Read
    The best books on Racism - The Open Society and its Enemies by Karl Popper

    1

    The Open Society and its Enemies
    by Karl Popper

  • Read
    The best books on Racism - Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon

    2

    Black Skin, White Masks
    by Frantz Fanon

  • Read
    The best books on Racism - The Language of Genes by Steve Jones

    3

    The Language of Genes
    by Steve Jones

  • Read
    The best books on Racism - The Ordeal of Integration by Orlando Patterson

    4

    The Ordeal of Integration
    by Orlando Patterson

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    The best books on Racism - The Ethics of Identity by Kwame Anthony Appiah

    5

    The Ethics of Identity
    by Kwame Anthony Appiah

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

  • Read
    The best books on Human Rights - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

    1

    The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

  • Read
    The best books on Human Rights - Making Sense of Human Rights by James Nickel

    2

    Making Sense of Human Rights
    by James Nickel

  • Read
    The best books on Human Rights - The Idea of Natural Rights by Brian Tierney

    3

    The Idea of Natural Rights
    by Brian Tierney

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Law of Peoples by John Rawls

    4

    The Law of Peoples
    by John Rawls

  • Read
    The best books on Human Rights - On Human Rights by James Griffin

    5

    On Human Rights
    by James Griffin

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 books on Isaiah Berlin, recommended by Henry Hardy

  • Read
    The best books on Isaiah Berlin - Liberty by Isaiah Berlin

    1

    Liberty
    by Isaiah Berlin

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    The best books on Isaiah Berlin - The Proper Study of Mankind by Isaiah Berlin

    2

    The Proper Study of Mankind
    by Isaiah Berlin

  • Read
    The best books on Isaiah Berlin - Personal Impressions by Isaiah Berlin

    3

    Personal Impressions
    by Isaiah Berlin

  • Read
    The best books on Isaiah Berlin - The Hedgehog and the Fox: An Essay on Tolstoy's View of History by Isaiah Berlin

    4

    The Hedgehog and the Fox: An Essay on Tolstoy's View of History
    by Isaiah Berlin

  • Read
    The best books on Isaiah Berlin - The Book of Isaiah: Personal Impressions of Isaiah Berlin by Henry Hardy

    5

    The Book of Isaiah: Personal Impressions of Isaiah Berlin
    by Henry Hardy

The best books on Isaiah Berlin, 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

  • Read
    The best books on Philosophy in a Divided World - Apology by Plato

    1

    Apology
    by Plato

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    The best books on Philosophy in a Divided World - The Deliverance from Error by al-Ghazālī

    2

    The Deliverance from Error
    by al-Ghazālī

  • Read
    The best books on Philosophy in a Divided World - The Guide of the Perplexed by Maimonides

    3

    The Guide of the Perplexed
    by Maimonides

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    The best books on Philosophy in a Divided World - On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

    4

    On Liberty
    by John Stuart Mill

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    The best books on Philosophy in a Divided World - Winnetou by Karl May

    5

    Winnetou
    by Karl May

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

  • Read
    The best books on Political Philosophy - Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes

    1

    Leviathan
    by Thomas Hobbes

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    The best books on Political Philosophy - Early Writings by Karl Marx

    2

    Early Writings
    by Karl Marx

  • Read
    The best books on Political Philosophy - A Theory of Justice by John Rawls

    3

    A Theory of Justice
    by John Rawls

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    The best books on Political Philosophy - Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick

    4

    Anarchy, State, and Utopia
    by Robert Nozick

  • Read
    The best books on Political Philosophy - If You’re an Egalitarian, How Come You’re So Rich? by G. A. Cohen

    5

    If You’re an Egalitarian, How Come You’re So Rich?
    by G. A. Cohen

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

  • Read
    The best books on Feminism - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

    1

    Mrs Dalloway
    by Virginia Woolf

  • Read
    The best books on Feminism - Fear of Flying by Erica Jong

    2

    Fear of Flying
    by Erica Jong

  • Read
    The best books on Feminism - The Women’s Room by Marilyn French

    3

    The Women’s Room
    by Marilyn French

  • Read
    The best books on Feminism - The Terror Dream by Susan Faludi

    4

    The Terror Dream
    by Susan Faludi

  • Read
    The best books on Feminism - Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

    5

    Wetlands
    by Charlotte Roche

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

  • Read
    The best books on Honour - In the Name of Honor by Mukhtar Mai

    1

    In the Name of Honor
    by Mukhtar Mai

  • Read
    The best books on Honour - Honor by Frank Henderson Stewart

    2

    Honor
    by Frank Henderson Stewart

  • Read
    The best books on Honour - Moral Capital by Christopher Leslie Brown

    3

    Moral Capital
    by Christopher Leslie Brown

  • Read
    The best books on Honour - ‘The Duel’ in The Duel and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov

    4

    ‘The Duel’ in The Duel and Other Stories
    by Anton Chekhov

  • Read
    The best books on Honour - The Economy of Esteem by Geoffrey Brennan & Philip Pettit

    5

    The Economy of Esteem
    by Geoffrey Brennan & Philip Pettit

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

  • Read
    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

    1

    Democracy in America
    by Alexis de Tocqueville

  • Read
    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams

    2

    The Education of Henry Adams
    by Henry Adams

  • Read
    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - How to Do Things with Words by JL Austin

    3

    How to Do Things with Words
    by JL Austin

  • Read
    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - The Plague by Albert Camus

    4

    The Plague
    by Albert Camus

  • Read
    Stephen Breyer on his Intellectual Influences - In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

    5

    In Search of Lost Time
    by Marcel Proust

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

  • Read
    The best books on The Evolution of Liberalism - The Tragedy of American Diplomacy by William Appleman Williams

    1

    The Tragedy of American Diplomacy
    by William Appleman Williams

  • Read
    The best books on The Evolution of Liberalism - The End of Reform by Alan Brinkley

    2

    The End of Reform
    by Alan Brinkley

  • Read
    The best books on The Evolution of Liberalism - Pivotal Decade by Judith Stein

    3

    Pivotal Decade
    by Judith Stein

  • Read
    The best books on The Evolution of Liberalism - To Stand and Fight by Martha Biondi

    4

    To Stand and Fight
    by Martha Biondi

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    The best books on The Evolution of Liberalism - The Feminist Promise by Christine Stansell

    5

    The Feminist Promise
    by Christine Stansell

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.

    John Gray recommends the best Critiques of Utopia and Apocalypse

  • Read
    John Gray recommends the best Critiques of Utopia and Apocalypse - The Invisible Writing by Arthur Koestler

    1

    The Invisible Writing
    by Arthur Koestler

  • Read
    John Gray recommends the best Critiques of Utopia and Apocalypse - Civilisation and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud

    2

    Civilisation and Its Discontents
    by Sigmund Freud

  • Read
    John Gray recommends the best Critiques of Utopia and Apocalypse - The Pursuit of the Millennium by Norman Cohn

    3

    The Pursuit of the Millennium
    by Norman Cohn

  • Read
    John Gray recommends the best Critiques of Utopia and Apocalypse - The Sense of an Ending by Frank Kermode

    4

    The Sense of an Ending
    by Frank Kermode

  • Read
    John Gray recommends the best Critiques of Utopia and Apocalypse - Hello America by JG Ballard

    5

    Hello America
    by JG Ballard

John Gray recommends the best Critiques of Utopia and Apocalypse

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.

    The best books on Fairness and Inequality, recommended by Will Hutton

  • Read
    The best books on Fairness and Inequality - Principles of Social Justice by David Miller

    1

    Principles of Social Justice
    by David Miller

  • Read
    The best books on Fairness and Inequality - The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett

    2

    The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger
    by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett

  • Read
    The best books on Fairness and Inequality - Inequality Reexamined by Amartya Sen

    3

    Inequality Reexamined
    by Amartya Sen

  • Read
    The best books on Fairness and Inequality - Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten The World Economy by Raghuram G Rajan

    4

    Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten The World Economy
    by Raghuram G Rajan

  • Read
    The best books on Fairness and Inequality - Chavs by Owen Jones

    5

    Chavs
    by Owen Jones

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

    The best books on Civil Resistance, recommended by Sir Adam Roberts

  • Read
    The best books on Civil Resistance - Sharp’s Dictionary of Power and Struggle by Gene Sharp

    1

    Sharp’s Dictionary of Power and Struggle
    by Gene Sharp

  • Read
    The best books on Civil Resistance - Defeating Authoritarian Leaders in Postcommunist Countries by Valerie Bunce and Sharon Wolchik

    2

    Defeating Authoritarian Leaders in Postcommunist Countries
    by Valerie Bunce and Sharon Wolchik

  • Read
    The best books on Civil Resistance - Why Civil Resistance Works by Erica Chenoweth and Maria J Stephan

    3

    Why Civil Resistance Works
    by Erica Chenoweth and Maria J Stephan

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    The best books on Civil Resistance - People Power and Political Change by April Carter

    4

    People Power and Political Change
    by April Carter

  • Read
    The best books on Civil Resistance - The Lady and the Peacock by Peter Popham

    5

    The Lady and the Peacock
    by Peter Popham

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

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    The best books on The Roots of Liberalism - The State by Woodrow Wilson

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    The State
    by Woodrow Wilson

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    The best books on The Roots of Liberalism - The Metaphysical Club by Louis Menand

    2

    The Metaphysical Club
    by Louis Menand

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    The best books on The Roots of Liberalism - The Promise of American Life by Herbert Croly

    3

    The Promise of American Life
    by Herbert Croly

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    The best books on The Roots of Liberalism - The Age of Reform by Richard Hofstadter

    4

    The Age of Reform
    by Richard Hofstadter

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    The best books on The Roots of Liberalism - The Paradox of American Democracy by John Judis

    5

    The Paradox of American Democracy
    by John Judis

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

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    The best books on Communism - One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

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    One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich
    by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

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    The best books on Communism - Galina by Galina Vishnevskaya

    2

    Galina
    by Galina Vishnevskaya

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    The best books on Communism - The New Class by Milovan Djilas

    3

    The New Class
    by Milovan Djilas

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    The best books on Communism - Between East And West by Anne Applebaum

    4

    Between East And West
    by Anne Applebaum

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    The best books on Communism - The Russian Mind by Ronald Hingley

    5

    The Russian Mind
    by Ronald Hingley

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

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    The best books on Liberty and Morality - Liberalism Ancient and Modern by Leo Strauss

    1

    Liberalism Ancient and Modern
    by Leo Strauss

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    The best books on Liberty and Morality - I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe

    2

    I Am Charlotte Simmons
    by Tom Wolfe

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    The best books on Liberty and Morality - After Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyre

    3

    After Virtue
    by Alasdair MacIntyre

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    The best books on Liberty and Morality - God and Gold by Walter Russell Mead

    4

    God and Gold
    by Walter Russell Mead

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    The best books on Liberty and Morality - Flight of the Intellectuals by Paul Berman

    5

    Flight of the Intellectuals
    by Paul Berman

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

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    The best books on Assassination - Political Murder by Franklin L Ford

    1

    Political Murder
    by Franklin L Ford

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    The best books on Assassination - The Assassination of Henry IV by Roland Mousnier

    2

    The Assassination of Henry IV
    by Roland Mousnier

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    The best books on Assassination - Murdering McKinley by Eric Rauchway

    3

    Murdering McKinley
    by Eric Rauchway

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    The best books on Assassination - The Kennedy Assassination by Peter Knight

    4

    The Kennedy Assassination
    by Peter Knight

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    The best books on Assassination - Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders by Rockefeller Commission

    5

    Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders
    by Rockefeller Commission

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

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    The best books on Equality - Bleak House by Charles Dickens

    1

    Bleak House
    by Charles Dickens

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    The best books on Equality - The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

    2

    The Wind in the Willows
    by Kenneth Grahame

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    The best books on Equality - The Black Jacobins by C L R James

    3

    The Black Jacobins
    by C L R James

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    The best books on Equality - Bowling Alone by Robert D Putnam

    4

    Bowling Alone
    by Robert D Putnam

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    The best books on Equality - Identity Economics by George A Akerlof and Rachel E Kranton

    5

    Identity Economics
    by George A Akerlof and Rachel E Kranton

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

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    The best books on Maverick Political Thought - Le Monde au 21ème siècle by Robert Fossaert

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    Le Monde au 21ème siècle
    by Robert Fossaert

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    The best books on Maverick Political Thought - A Thousand Plateaus by Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari

    2

    A Thousand Plateaus
    by Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari

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    The best books on Maverick Political Thought - I Speak for Lebanon by Kamal Joumblatt

    3

    I Speak for Lebanon
    by Kamal Joumblatt

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    The best books on Maverick Political Thought - Democracy and Distrust by John Hart Ely

    4

    Democracy and Distrust
    by John Hart Ely

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    The best books on Maverick Political Thought - Iqtisaduna by Muhammad Baqir Sadr

    5

    Iqtisaduna
    by Muhammad Baqir Sadr

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

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    The best books on Toleration - A Letter Concerning Toleration by John Locke

    1

    A Letter Concerning Toleration
    by John Locke

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    The best books on Toleration - On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

    2

    On Liberty
    by John Stuart Mill

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    The best books on Toleration - Justifying Toleration by Susan Mendus

    3

    Justifying Toleration
    by Susan Mendus

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    The best books on Toleration - Toleranz im Konflikt by Rainer Forst

    4

    Toleranz im Konflikt
    by Rainer Forst

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    The best books on Toleration - Regulating Aversion by Wendy Brown

    5

    Regulating Aversion
    by Wendy Brown

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

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    The best books on Human Rights - The Case Against the Nazi War Criminals by Robert Houghwout Jackson

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    The Case Against the Nazi War Criminals
    by Robert Houghwout Jackson

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    The best books on Human Rights - Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations by Michael Walzer

    2

    Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations
    by Michael Walzer

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    The best books on Human Rights - A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power

    3

    A Problem from Hell
    by Samantha Power

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    The best books on Human Rights - Endgame by David Rohde

    4

    Endgame
    by David Rohde

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    The best books on Human Rights - Legalism by Judith Shklar

    5

    Legalism
    by Judith Shklar

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)

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