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On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present Paperback – October 27, 2020

by Alan Ryan (Author)

4.6 236 ratings

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Finally in a one-volume paperback edition, On Politics is one of the most ambitious and hugely readable histories of political philosophy in nearly a century.

Praised widely upon hardcover publication, Alan Ryan’s “masterpiece” (David Ulin, Los Angeles Times) blends history and philosophy to examine three thousand years of political thought. Drawing on three decades of research, Ryan insightfully traces the origins of political philosophy from the ancient Greeks to the present and evokes the lives and minds of our greatest thinkers in a way that makes reading about them a “remarkable experience” (Jeremy Waldron, New York Review of Books). Whether writing about Plato or Augustine, Tocqueville or Jefferson, Ryan illuminates John Dewey’s dictum that the role of philosophy is less to see truth than to enhance life. With this “epic” (John Keane, Financial Times) tour de force, Ryan affirms his place as one of the most influential political philosophers of our time.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alan Ryan, after decades at Princeton University, was warden of New College, University of Oxford, where he was a professor of political theory. He is the author of John Dewey and the High Tide of American Liberalism and Bertrand Russell: A Political Life, among other works.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Liveright (October 27, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 1152 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1631498142
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1631498145
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.4 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.2 x 2 x 9.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #121,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #60 in Historiography (Books)
- #278 in Political Philosophy (Books)
- #399 in History & Theory of Politics

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4.6 236 ratings

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zenprof

Well written

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024

Very informative

Excellent Comprehensive survey of Political Philosophy

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023

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Ryan provides a masterful and comprehensive analysis of western political philosophy from the early Greek views to the modern revival of Islamic revanchism and subtle totalitarianism. He has produced a tour de force worth reading and analyzing if you have the time to tackle a thousand pages.

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Steven Peterson

A magisterial history of political philosophy

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2015

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This is a major work—and a welcome one. Once upon a time, I thought that Sabine’s history of political philosophy was the apogee in this arena. But I think that the author, Alan Ryan, has actually surpassed Sabine. He does a nice job of introducing us to the variety of political thinkers over time. But his analysis of the works—going beyond just description—is the real contribution of this two volume set. Ryan notes that (page xxiii): “This is a book about the answers that historians, philosophers, theologians, practicing politician and would be revolutionaries have given to one question. How can human beings best govern themselves”?

For the record, he considers the following subjects/thinkers, among others: Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Polybius, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Bentham, Mill, Tocqueville, and Marx. There are also chapters on more general subjects, such as republicanism after Hobbes and Locke, or the American founding, or democracy in the modern world.

It is intriguing that he began the work with Herodotus (and Thucydides). Ryan dissects Plato and Aristotle nicely, exploring some of their major works and making sense of their arguments—while sometimes raising questions about those arguments. There is a lengthy and insightful analysis of Augustine’s political thinking. A key question that this thinker addressed (page 149): “. . .how seriously should a Christian with his eyes on eternity take the politics of his earthly life. . . .”

Machiavelli? A diplomat who lost his job as a result of internal politics. Some of his works were efforts to get back in the good graces of the rulers of Florence, such as the Borgias. Much of the chapter explores The Prince, and Machiavelli’s interesting analysis of what it takes to be successful. There is also lucid discussion of Discourses, a follow up to his earlier volume with some interesting twists.

There is relevance for the United States in quite a number of chapters. For example, after the chapters on Hobbes and Locke, Ryan considers “republicanism.” Here, he examines the works of John Harrington, Algernon Sidney, and Charles-Louis de Secondat, the Baron de Montesquieu. Each of these thinkers reflected on aspects of republicanism. And each of these was referred to by America’s Founding Fathers during the Constitutional era. The discussion places the discussion of those Founders in a broader context.

And so on. A powerfully developed two volume set. If interested in the history of political philosophy, this is an outstanding point of departure.

30 people found this helpful

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Phil J

Politics for the open mind

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2014

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I just finished reading this two volume tome having started it over a year ago. This book is not about politics as in red versus blue. The book covers political thinking from ancient times to the present. I do not know when this book was published but I wish I could have read it when I was in my 20s or 30s and my mind was readily absorbing ideas. The names of the political thinkers presented by the author were familiar to me from high school history and college courses. (I am over 60 now.) The author's topics are fascinating. His sentence structure can be quite complex but it is worthwhile rereading certain sentences to understand his points. He presents each political thinker in historical perspective while occasionally subjecting such thinker to other times in history. If you enjoy history and complex ideas, give this book a try.

24 people found this helpful

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Michael and Marilynn Geyer

Very, very thorough overview

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2013

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Alan Ryan is a longtime lecturer and teacher, as evidenced by these volumes - it is a two-volume set.
He speaks in laymen's language and very clearly, beginning with Herodotus, delivers thorough essays on the great political thinkers of Western philosophy.
Those interested in Chinese, Japanese or Moslem contributions should look elsewhere.
I found the book extremely useful, but these are not volumes for specialists in this field. Although there is an excellent bibliography, the footnotes are sparse.
The strength of this treatment is a fairly strong narrative arc that runs through the writing, so while Ryan is discussing St. Augustine's work he refers back to Plato's influence on the Confessions. There is a worthwhile attempt at weaving together a tapestry of philosophical thought.
Very enjoyable.

5 people found this helpful

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Pear Choo Hiang

Excellent overview of politcs!

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2013

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Good contents & skillfully written. With a good mixture of philosophy, history & political science all rolled into one.

Highly recommended for anyone keen on politics as a serious subject matter, from ancient thinkers (Plato, Aristotle etc.) to the modern (Hobbes, JS Mill etc.) & how their thoughts still colored our present day thinking. Detailed analysis of the many thinkers are carefully presented, easily read & understood. I enjoyed the many hours going through the pages!

P.S: Quite a bit of typo errors! Think subsequent editions should fix it!

3 people found this helpful

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Allan M. Lees

Tour-de-Force of Political History

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2013

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If like me you're interested in political history - and especially how we came by our modern forms of government - but don't have the time to read around the subject in depth then this is absolutely the perfect primer. Alan Ryan's very readable yet comprehensive gloss on nearly twenty-five hundred years of political thought is a great introduction to many of the works that shaped later thinking and action. I find books like this to be an invaluable road-map for later reading, so that anyone with interest in learning more knows just where to look. As I also happen to share the author's prejudices regarding Plato, for example, it was pleasant to have some old biases reinforced while having my eyes opened to things I'd not previously known, such as the political implications of Augustine's writings. For anyone who wants to understand how the great adventure of the American republic got its start nearly eighteen hundred years earlier, and why tyrannical systems inevitably implode, this is the place to start.

17 people found this helpful

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Laocoon143

Readable overview

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2013

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Good for the general reader, or as a refresher course on political thought. Not terribly deep or innovative. Exceptionally readable style.

6 people found this helpful

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Iker

Buen libro, pero no fué de mi interés

Reviewed in Mexico on September 25, 2017

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Conseguí este libro como lectura escolar, pero debo admitir que no fué mi estilo. Realmente me conflictuó el lenguaje. La teoría es interesante, pero la lectura no fué mi máximo interés.

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Gazza

Political Theory Made Clear

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2018

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Alan Ryan states at the beginning of this book that he was influenced by Russell’s History of Western Philosophy when first introduced to philosophy. This book shows that he has taken a notch out of Russell’s magnum opus on philosophy and written this book in a similar, highly readable style to Russell’s great work. And this makes all the difference when it comes to philosophy, which of course is a difficult subject in its own right, with complex concepts and new ways of thinking and approaching ideas; many of which will be new to the reader coming to the subject for the very first time. Ryan’s writing makes the subject as clear as it possibly can be, taking the reader on an educational tour through centuries of political theory. I personally don’t see how this book could be any better than it is. It is well-written and comprehensive in its coverage. In short, this is a fantastic book on political philosophy and I would highly recommend it to others.

I hope you find my review helpful.

One person found this helpful