Should We Consent to Be Governed? A Short Introduction to Political Philosophy

By Stephen Nathanson

Book Overview

Introduces students to political philosophy by raising a relevant, practical question that each of us faces -- What attitude ought we to adopt toward governments and laws? Beginning with this question, the author introduces a variety of political philosophies, each presented as an answer to this question, and shows why it is worth understanding and learning about these views. The text involves the students in the issues and encourages active thinking and learning by stressing what the student needs to make up their mind about the question. By studying this material, students will understand how one can respect the legitimacy of laws while retaining a critical stance that permits disobedience when laws and governments fail to be just.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0534167462
• ISBN13: 9780534167462
• Release Date: August 1991
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Useful as a supplement for high school or undergrads

This book provides helpful commentary and supplements classic readings in political philosophy; I paired it with primary texts by such authors as Plato, Hobbes, and Martin Luther King Jr. It is definitely introductory, and even my undergraduate students found it just a wee bit hand-holding in terms of interpreting the texts for them. However, it was the only text I could find that really laid out possible attitudes towards being governed, the way I wanted to teach the course. A useful framework, worth inspecting! If you're just beginning to wonder what to read in order to learn more about political philosophy, it's extraordinarily readable and clear.