Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory

`This text provides an up to date account of how things currently stand in
political philosophy, and will provide an excellent introduction for students
from any background. It gives a lucid and careful account of the central
controversies and sites of disagreement in political theory over the last
thirty years and rather than sacrifice theoretical sophistication and nuance
for the sake of clarity and accessibility, it admirably achieves both' -

Catriona McKinnon, University of York

This comprehensive textbook provides a complete and accessible introduction to
the main theorists and issues in contemporary political theory today.

The text is organized into two major parts. The first, Contemporary Liberal
Theory, outlines four distinct liberal theories of justice to introduce the
work of Rawls, Nozick, Gauthier and Dworkin. The second, Alternative
Traditions, introduces the theorists and themes associated with four key areas
of contemporary debate: communitarianism, multiculturalism, deliberative
democracy and feminism.

By giving students questions for consideration and using applied examples
throughout, the text illustrates the practical relevance of contemporary
theoretical debates to everyday issues in policy and politics.

The result is an essential overview of all the main traditions, issues and
positions in political theory today that will serve as an invaluable resource
for all students of contemporary political theory, political ideas and
political philosophy.

Colin Farrelly is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science
at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Introduction to Contemporary Political
Theory will complement Contemporary Political Theory: A Reader edited by Colin
Farrelly and also published by SAGE Publications.