Edit
- 1385 Broadway
Fifth Floor
New York, NY 10018
USA - 212-419-5357
Matthew Kopel
Bloomsbury Publishing, Editorial, Acquisitions Editoredit
- Gender and Politics, Social Movements (Political Science), Intersectionality, Law and Politics, Environmental Politics, Politics, and 50 morePolitics Of Education, Political Theory, Identity politics, African-American Political Thought, Elections and Voting Behavior, American Politics, Comparative Politics, Political Science, Political Philosophy, Politics Of Social Policy, Queer Politics, Elections, Strategic Studies, Women and Politics, Anonymous, Hacktivism, Marxism, American Foreign Policy, Political Satire, Political Psychology, Occupy Wall Street, History of Political Thought, Anarchism, History Of Political Thought (Political Science), International Relations, International Relations Theory, Latin American Foreign Policy, Latin American Studies, Southeast Asian Politics, East Asian Politics, South Asian Politics, Middle East Studies, Middle East Politics, Presidency (American Politics), U.S. Presidency, U.S. Supreme Court Litigation, Law, International Law, State Politics, Urban Politics, Local Politics, Drug Policy, Hip Hop and politics, Editorial, Aesthetics, Digital Humanities, Social Movements, The Internet, Iran, and Iran Foreign Policyedit
- I acquire books in Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. Please let me know what you're working on... moreI acquire books in Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. Please let me know what you're working on, whether you have a project in hand or not, and let's see how I can help you as a scholar and professional, and how we can work together to contribute to the greater conversation.
Publishing relationships need to be a two-way street. I want to help your work reach every corner of the academy by making it shine, and making it accessible.
I'm more interested in where we can go together than maintaining status quo. Let's start changing the paradigm.edit
The Republic of India occupies a key geopolitical and strategic space at the center of the Indian Ocean. How it interacts with the rest of the world will have profound consequences in the 21st century. Beyond South Asia follows the... more
The Republic of India occupies a key geopolitical and strategic space at the center of the Indian Ocean. How it interacts with the rest of the world will have profound consequences in the 21st century.
Beyond South Asia follows the evolution of India's strategic thinking since 1947, providing a comprehensive analysis of its foreign policy worldview. It begins with India's failed attempt to unite and dominate the subcontinent following independence, a strategy that resulted in conflict as its smaller neighbors invited the U.S. and China to the region, resisted intra-regional cooperation, and even violently opposed New Delhi. It then explores how this worldview has shifted as India, needing markets, energy resources, and ways to balance against China, has developed economic and military ties in Central and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the southern Indian Ocean, and beyond. To do so has required more stability in South Asia, making India more conciliatory toward other countries of the subcontinent. This is in turn leading to a lessening of tensions, enhanced cooperation, and an economic reintegration of the subcontinent, including a burgeoning détente with Pakistan.
This in-depth analysis provides a comprehensive look at the domestic and regional factors that drive India, a key actor in global politics. Written in an accessible manner, it will be of use to students and specialists of Indian foreign policy, South Asian politics, international relations, and security studies and to anyone interested in the future of AfPak, the Indian Ocean region, and America's "strategic pivot."
Beyond South Asia is an amazing tour de force—an encyclopedic identification and analytical presentation of the major elements confronting India, the SAARC region and related states. Padukone provides an education for those who need to bone up on India and its pluses and minuses as well as for the specialist who will become sensitized to new important related areas. It’s also very well written, which enables the reader to more easily comprehend some very complex discussions, and the maps are among the best that I have seen in regard to each of the topics.
Paul Wallace, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA
Beyond South Asia follows the evolution of India's strategic thinking since 1947, providing a comprehensive analysis of its foreign policy worldview. It begins with India's failed attempt to unite and dominate the subcontinent following independence, a strategy that resulted in conflict as its smaller neighbors invited the U.S. and China to the region, resisted intra-regional cooperation, and even violently opposed New Delhi. It then explores how this worldview has shifted as India, needing markets, energy resources, and ways to balance against China, has developed economic and military ties in Central and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the southern Indian Ocean, and beyond. To do so has required more stability in South Asia, making India more conciliatory toward other countries of the subcontinent. This is in turn leading to a lessening of tensions, enhanced cooperation, and an economic reintegration of the subcontinent, including a burgeoning détente with Pakistan.
This in-depth analysis provides a comprehensive look at the domestic and regional factors that drive India, a key actor in global politics. Written in an accessible manner, it will be of use to students and specialists of Indian foreign policy, South Asian politics, international relations, and security studies and to anyone interested in the future of AfPak, the Indian Ocean region, and America's "strategic pivot."
Beyond South Asia is an amazing tour de force—an encyclopedic identification and analytical presentation of the major elements confronting India, the SAARC region and related states. Padukone provides an education for those who need to bone up on India and its pluses and minuses as well as for the specialist who will become sensitized to new important related areas. It’s also very well written, which enables the reader to more easily comprehend some very complex discussions, and the maps are among the best that I have seen in regard to each of the topics.
Paul Wallace, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA
Research Interests:
This is the first English translation of the seminar Martin Heidegger gave during the Winter of 1934-35, which dealt with Hegel's Philosophy of Right. This remarkable text is the only one in which Heidegger interprets Hegel's masterpiece... more
This is the first English translation of the seminar Martin Heidegger gave during the Winter of 1934-35, which dealt with Hegel's Philosophy of Right. This remarkable text is the only one in which Heidegger interprets Hegel's masterpiece in the tradition of Continental political philosophy while offering a glimpse into Heidegger's own political thought following his engagement with Nazism. It also confronts the ideas of Carl Schmitt, allowing readers to reconstruct the relation between politics and ontology.
The book is enriched by a collection of interpretations of the seminar, written by select European and North American political thinkers and philosophers. Their essays aim to make the seminar accessible to students of political theory and philosophy, as well as to open new directions for debating the relation between the two disciplines. A unique contribution, this volume makes available key lectures by Heidegger that will interest a wide readership of students and scholars.
The notes from Heidegger’s seminar on Hegel’s Philosophy of Right are an indispensable source for any serious understanding of Heidegger’s relation to National Socialism as well as his conception of politics more generally. Readers of Andrew Mitchell’s excellent translation are fortunate that in this volume they will find half a dozen thoughtful essays to guide them through this important but enigmatic text.
Robert Bernasconi, Penn State University
The book is enriched by a collection of interpretations of the seminar, written by select European and North American political thinkers and philosophers. Their essays aim to make the seminar accessible to students of political theory and philosophy, as well as to open new directions for debating the relation between the two disciplines. A unique contribution, this volume makes available key lectures by Heidegger that will interest a wide readership of students and scholars.
The notes from Heidegger’s seminar on Hegel’s Philosophy of Right are an indispensable source for any serious understanding of Heidegger’s relation to National Socialism as well as his conception of politics more generally. Readers of Andrew Mitchell’s excellent translation are fortunate that in this volume they will find half a dozen thoughtful essays to guide them through this important but enigmatic text.
Robert Bernasconi, Penn State University
Research Interests:
This highly original work posits that the changes in the nature of citizenship caused by neoliberal globalization must be understood as the result of an ongoing imperial project. Although they may seem admirable, policies such as... more
This highly original work posits that the changes in the nature of citizenship caused by neoliberal globalization must be understood as the result of an ongoing imperial project.
Although they may seem admirable, policies such as humanitarian and citizenship rights are really an imperial venture led by global institutions and corporations in order to export capitalist market forces worldwide. This entails a form of neoliberal citizenship in which social security is replaced by market insecurity and rising inequality. In this light, the citizen becomes an "imperial subject" whose needs and desires have been colonized by the global market. However, emerging social forces in Latin America and elsewhere have begun to challenge this imperialist logic, fostering a resistance that may bring forth a new global vision of citizenship.
This unique analysis draws together neoliberal citizenship, new imperialism, and the creation of 'financial subjects' into an innovative theoretical exploration. By expanding the debate on global citizenship, Imperial Subjects will engage readers in political and social sciences interested in contemporary political thought, citizenship, and globalization.
Colin Mooers’s Imperial Subjects: Citizenship in an Age of Crisis and Empire advances the Marxian understanding of citizenship beyond the usual contrast of legal equality and substantive inequality. Mooers demonstrates not only how capitalism creates the basis for juridical equality among citizens, but constantly creates and recreates categories of non-citizens subject to varied forms of legal coercion. He applies this framework to a provocative analysis of citizenship in the current era of neo-liberal capitalism. Imperial Subjects is a major contribution.
Charles Post, author of The American Road To Capitalism: Studies In Class-Structure, Economic Development And Political Conflict, 1620-1877 (2012)
Although they may seem admirable, policies such as humanitarian and citizenship rights are really an imperial venture led by global institutions and corporations in order to export capitalist market forces worldwide. This entails a form of neoliberal citizenship in which social security is replaced by market insecurity and rising inequality. In this light, the citizen becomes an "imperial subject" whose needs and desires have been colonized by the global market. However, emerging social forces in Latin America and elsewhere have begun to challenge this imperialist logic, fostering a resistance that may bring forth a new global vision of citizenship.
This unique analysis draws together neoliberal citizenship, new imperialism, and the creation of 'financial subjects' into an innovative theoretical exploration. By expanding the debate on global citizenship, Imperial Subjects will engage readers in political and social sciences interested in contemporary political thought, citizenship, and globalization.
Colin Mooers’s Imperial Subjects: Citizenship in an Age of Crisis and Empire advances the Marxian understanding of citizenship beyond the usual contrast of legal equality and substantive inequality. Mooers demonstrates not only how capitalism creates the basis for juridical equality among citizens, but constantly creates and recreates categories of non-citizens subject to varied forms of legal coercion. He applies this framework to a provocative analysis of citizenship in the current era of neo-liberal capitalism. Imperial Subjects is a major contribution.
Charles Post, author of The American Road To Capitalism: Studies In Class-Structure, Economic Development And Political Conflict, 1620-1877 (2012)
Research Interests:
This unique and engaging study argues that the Western concern with achieving happiness should be understood in terms of its relationship to the political ideologies that have emerged since the Enlightenment. To do so, each chapter... more
This unique and engaging study argues that the Western concern with achieving happiness should be understood in terms of its relationship to the political ideologies that have emerged since the Enlightenment. To do so, each chapter examines the place that happiness occupies in the construction of ideologies that have formed the political terrain of the West, including liberalism, postmodernism, socialism, fascism, and religion. Throughout, Hegel's phenomenology, Nietzsche's genealogy, and Derrida's account of deconstruction as reactions to modernization are used to show that the politics of happiness are always a clash of fundamental ideas of belonging, overcoming, and ethical responsibility. Stressing that the concept of happiness lies at the foundation of political movements, the book also looks at its place in the current global order, analyzing the emergence of such ideas as affective democracy that challenge the conventional notions of privatized, acquisitive happiness.
Written in a clear manner, the work will appeal to political theory students and researchers looking for a critical and historical account of contemporary debates about the nature of happiness and ideology.
Can we be happy in a world marked by catastrophe? Should we try? What is happiness anyway? In this subtle and entrancing work Ross Abbinnett thinks deeply and profoundly about these questions. He draws on the European philosophical tradition to show why happiness is important and in so doing rescues happiness from the banalities of the new utilitarianism. This is an important book.
Keith Tester, Professor of Sociology, University of Hull, UK
Written in a clear manner, the work will appeal to political theory students and researchers looking for a critical and historical account of contemporary debates about the nature of happiness and ideology.
Can we be happy in a world marked by catastrophe? Should we try? What is happiness anyway? In this subtle and entrancing work Ross Abbinnett thinks deeply and profoundly about these questions. He draws on the European philosophical tradition to show why happiness is important and in so doing rescues happiness from the banalities of the new utilitarianism. This is an important book.
Keith Tester, Professor of Sociology, University of Hull, UK
Research Interests:
In the decade that followed 9/11, technologies and technology policies became central to homeland security. For example, the U.S. erected new border defenses with remote sensors and biometric scanners, and deployed new autonomous air... more
In the decade that followed 9/11, technologies and technology policies became central to homeland security. For example, the U.S. erected new border defenses with remote sensors and biometric scanners, and deployed new autonomous air warfare capabilities, such as the drone program. Looking at efforts to restore security after 9/11, the work examines issues such as the rise in technology spending, the various scenarios of mass terror, and America's effort to ensure that future engagements will take place far from the homeland. Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iran's emergence as nuclear threat, and North Korea's acceleration of its missile program are analyzed along with the "axis of evil" and America's effort to create a ballistic missile shield to thwart this emerging threat to its security. By focusing on the technologies of homeland security rather than on cyber warfare itself, the work offers a unique and needed survey that will appeal to anyone involved with the study and development of homeland and strategic security.
State of Recovery provides a much needed comprehensive and informed assessment of the role technology and innovation plays among U.S. adversaries in their efforts to undermine U.S. national and international security interests. Zellen further provides an insightful look into what the U.S. is doing, through its own employment of technological means, to combat or circumvent adversarial efforts. Rooted in his exhaustive and astute understanding of this complex issue, his three-dimensional look goes a long ways toward filling a significant void in this body of literature.
Dr. David A. Anderson, Professor of Strategic Studies and William E. Odom Chair of Joint, Interagency and Multinational Operations, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, US
State of Recovery provides a much needed comprehensive and informed assessment of the role technology and innovation plays among U.S. adversaries in their efforts to undermine U.S. national and international security interests. Zellen further provides an insightful look into what the U.S. is doing, through its own employment of technological means, to combat or circumvent adversarial efforts. Rooted in his exhaustive and astute understanding of this complex issue, his three-dimensional look goes a long ways toward filling a significant void in this body of literature.
Dr. David A. Anderson, Professor of Strategic Studies and William E. Odom Chair of Joint, Interagency and Multinational Operations, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, US
Research Interests:
The 1993 Oslo Accords were a key attempt to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict whose failure was largely attributed to extremists on both sides. The book challenges this conventional wisdom by examining the role of Israeli and... more
The 1993 Oslo Accords were a key attempt to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict whose failure was largely attributed to extremists on both sides. The book challenges this conventional wisdom by examining the role of Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers themselves in derailing the peace process.
Looking at the role of moderates before and after Oslo, the different agreements and peace proposals they negotiated, and their rhetoric, the book shows that these peacemakers retained an inherent ambivalence toward the peace process and one another. This prevented them and their constituents from committing to the process and achieving a lasting peace.
This unique survey shows how the people who drive the peace process can not only undermine it, but also prevent its successful conclusion. By dealing with such an important aspect of negotiation, the book will foster a better understanding of the role of moderates and why peace processes may falter. It will fill a gap in the literature and be a valuable research tool for anyone studying conflict processes, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Middle East politics.
Looking at the role of moderates before and after Oslo, the different agreements and peace proposals they negotiated, and their rhetoric, the book shows that these peacemakers retained an inherent ambivalence toward the peace process and one another. This prevented them and their constituents from committing to the process and achieving a lasting peace.
This unique survey shows how the people who drive the peace process can not only undermine it, but also prevent its successful conclusion. By dealing with such an important aspect of negotiation, the book will foster a better understanding of the role of moderates and why peace processes may falter. It will fill a gap in the literature and be a valuable research tool for anyone studying conflict processes, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Middle East politics.
Research Interests:
Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror offers an in-depth analysis of US/UK military strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 to the present day. It explores the development of contemporary military strategy in the... more
Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror offers an in-depth analysis of US/UK military strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 to the present day. It explores the development of contemporary military strategy in the West in the modern age before interrogating its application in the Global War on Terror. The book provides detailed insights into the formulation of military plans by political and military elites in the United States and United Kingdom for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Alastair Finlan highlights the challenges posed by each of these unique theatres of operation, the nature of the diverse enemies faced by coalition forces, and the shortcomings in strategic thinking about these campaigns. This fresh perspective on strategy in the West and how it has been applied in recent military campaigns facilitates a deep understanding of how wars have been and will be fought.
Including key terms, concepts and discussion questions for each chapter, Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror is a crucial text in strategic studies, and required reading for anyone interested in the new realities of transnational terrorism and twenty-first century warfare.
This is an exceptionally fine book that must enhance Alastair Finlan’s already high reputation. It offers a coherent and persuasive narrative that blends theory and practice in explanation of the appalling errors in strategy that were committed in the 2000s in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the work is fair and balanced where it needs to be – it is not a journalistic condemnation, but rather is an excellent example of strategic studies at its best.
Colin S. Gray, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Reading, UK
Including key terms, concepts and discussion questions for each chapter, Contemporary Military Strategy and the Global War on Terror is a crucial text in strategic studies, and required reading for anyone interested in the new realities of transnational terrorism and twenty-first century warfare.
This is an exceptionally fine book that must enhance Alastair Finlan’s already high reputation. It offers a coherent and persuasive narrative that blends theory and practice in explanation of the appalling errors in strategy that were committed in the 2000s in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the work is fair and balanced where it needs to be – it is not a journalistic condemnation, but rather is an excellent example of strategic studies at its best.
Colin S. Gray, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Reading, UK
Research Interests:
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) was signed at the height of the Cold War more than fifty years ago. The agreement and its negotiation have become a cornerstone of diplomatic law. A Cornerstone of Modern Diplomacy,... more
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) was signed at the height of the Cold War more than fifty years ago. The agreement and its negotiation have become a cornerstone of diplomatic law.
A Cornerstone of Modern Diplomacy, which is based on archival research in the National Archives (London), the Austrian State Archives (Vienna) and the Political Archive (Berlin), delivers the first study of the British policy during the negotiation of the key convention governing diplomatic privileges and immunities: the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The book provides a complete commentary on the political aspects of the codification process of diplomatic law. By clearly presenting the case with accessible analysis, author Kai Bruns makes the relations between international law and politics understandable, stressing the impact of the emergence of the third world in UN diplomacy.
This unique study is a crucial piece of scholarship, shedding light on the practice of United Nations conference diplomacy and the codification of diplomatic law at the height of the Cold War.
This book serves two important functions – adding to the literature about the making of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and providing an account of the UK’s role in its creation. Scholars in both will find it compelling and useful.
Richard Langhorne, Professor of Political Science, Buckingham University, UK and author of Diplomacy (2004, with Christer Jonsson) and The Essentials of Global Politics (2006)
A Cornerstone of Modern Diplomacy, which is based on archival research in the National Archives (London), the Austrian State Archives (Vienna) and the Political Archive (Berlin), delivers the first study of the British policy during the negotiation of the key convention governing diplomatic privileges and immunities: the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The book provides a complete commentary on the political aspects of the codification process of diplomatic law. By clearly presenting the case with accessible analysis, author Kai Bruns makes the relations between international law and politics understandable, stressing the impact of the emergence of the third world in UN diplomacy.
This unique study is a crucial piece of scholarship, shedding light on the practice of United Nations conference diplomacy and the codification of diplomatic law at the height of the Cold War.
This book serves two important functions – adding to the literature about the making of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and providing an account of the UK’s role in its creation. Scholars in both will find it compelling and useful.
Richard Langhorne, Professor of Political Science, Buckingham University, UK and author of Diplomacy (2004, with Christer Jonsson) and The Essentials of Global Politics (2006)
Research Interests:
This unique work analyzes the crisis in modern society, building on the ideas of the Frankfurt School thinkers. Emphasizing social evolution and learning processes, it argues that crisis is mediated by social class conflicts and... more
This unique work analyzes the crisis in modern society, building on the ideas of the Frankfurt School thinkers. Emphasizing social evolution and learning processes, it argues that crisis is mediated by social class conflicts and collective learning, the results of which are embodied in constitutional and public law.
First, the work outlines a new categorical framework of critical theory in which it is conceived as a theory of crisis. It shows that the Marxist focus on economy and on class struggle is too narrow to deal with the range of social conflicts within modern society, and posits that a crisis of legitimization is at the core of all crises. It then discusses the dialectic of revolutionary and evolutionary developmental processes of modern society and its legal system.
This volume in the Critical Theory and Contemporary Society by a leading scholar in the field provides a new approach to critical theory that will appeal to anyone studying political sociology, political theory, and law.
Critical Theory of Legal Revolutions is a provocative and timely work of great importance to anyone interested in legal development, constitutionalism, the dynamics of globalization and the social conflicts that trigger and are triggered by these. Brunkhorst argues that struggles over power, prestige, and position in multiple social domains trigger legitimacy crises that have revolutionary as well as long term evolutionary effects. The thesis is demonstrated through comprehensive, systematic historical analysis that ranges from the papal revolution of the 12th century to the egalitarian world revolution of our time. This is a must read for critical social theorists in every discipline.
Jean L.Cohen, Nell and Herbert Singer Professor of Conemporary Civilization and Political Science, Columbia University, USA
First, the work outlines a new categorical framework of critical theory in which it is conceived as a theory of crisis. It shows that the Marxist focus on economy and on class struggle is too narrow to deal with the range of social conflicts within modern society, and posits that a crisis of legitimization is at the core of all crises. It then discusses the dialectic of revolutionary and evolutionary developmental processes of modern society and its legal system.
This volume in the Critical Theory and Contemporary Society by a leading scholar in the field provides a new approach to critical theory that will appeal to anyone studying political sociology, political theory, and law.
Critical Theory of Legal Revolutions is a provocative and timely work of great importance to anyone interested in legal development, constitutionalism, the dynamics of globalization and the social conflicts that trigger and are triggered by these. Brunkhorst argues that struggles over power, prestige, and position in multiple social domains trigger legitimacy crises that have revolutionary as well as long term evolutionary effects. The thesis is demonstrated through comprehensive, systematic historical analysis that ranges from the papal revolution of the 12th century to the egalitarian world revolution of our time. This is a must read for critical social theorists in every discipline.
Jean L.Cohen, Nell and Herbert Singer Professor of Conemporary Civilization and Political Science, Columbia University, USA
Research Interests:
Many of Tony Blair's policy decisions in the Israeli-Palestinian arena were controversial and politically costly. Blair, Labour and Palestine argues that gaps between him and much of his party were rooted in different world views. A... more
Many of Tony Blair's policy decisions in the Israeli-Palestinian arena were controversial and politically costly. Blair, Labour and Palestine argues that gaps between him and much of his party were rooted in different world views. A positive attitude towards Israel came to be seen as a defining mark of New Labour loyalists. However, contrasting views among left-leaning strands in the party reflected a broader set of ideological rifts. Such differences became increasingly significant in the wake of 9/11 as British policymakers sought to understand and respond to Islamic anger against the West. Based on interviews conducted by the author and on previously unseen documents, this unique case study shows how the distinctive world view of a political leader defined foreign policy, by shaping Britain's response to Islamist violence and its interconnected approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Author Toby Greene also examines the extent to which ministers and officials considered shifting foreign policy in response to fears of Islamist radicalisation in the UK, and Blair's role in stopping this trend, especially after the 7/7 bombings.
A clear and balanced account of the longer history of British foreign policy on the region when Blair was Prime Minister, and particularly after 9/11...If you are interested in what Blair’s policy actually was, as opposed to what the Ribbentrop-Molotov alliance of the right and the anti-left said it was, this is a superb account...The summary of Britain’s involvement in the creation of Israel, and the history of the Labour Party’s attitude to the conflict, is one of the best short accounts I have read...the section on how attitudes among Labour MPs to Israel-Palestine played a part in Blair’s downfall, in the Brownite “coup” of September 2006, is excellent...an impressively fair-minded treatment of an important question, in which Blair continues to play a role.
John Rentoul, Eagle Eye, The Independent Blogs
A clear and balanced account of the longer history of British foreign policy on the region when Blair was Prime Minister, and particularly after 9/11...If you are interested in what Blair’s policy actually was, as opposed to what the Ribbentrop-Molotov alliance of the right and the anti-left said it was, this is a superb account...The summary of Britain’s involvement in the creation of Israel, and the history of the Labour Party’s attitude to the conflict, is one of the best short accounts I have read...the section on how attitudes among Labour MPs to Israel-Palestine played a part in Blair’s downfall, in the Brownite “coup” of September 2006, is excellent...an impressively fair-minded treatment of an important question, in which Blair continues to play a role.
John Rentoul, Eagle Eye, The Independent Blogs
Research Interests:
Subversive thought is none other than the cunning of reason when confronted with a social reality in which the poor and miserable are required to sustain the illusion of fictitious wealth. Yet, this subsidy is absolutely necessary in... more
Subversive thought is none other than the cunning of reason when confronted with a social reality in which the poor and miserable are required to sustain the illusion of fictitious wealth. Yet, this subsidy is absolutely necessary in existing society, to prevent its implosion. The critique of political economy is a thoroughly subversive business. It rejects the appearance of economic reality as a natural thing, argues that economy has not independent existence, expounds economy as political economy, and rejects as conformist rebellion those anti-capitalist perspectives that derive their rationality from the existing conceptuality of society. Subversion focuses on human conditions. Its critical subject is society unaware of itself. This book develops Marx’s critique of political economy as negative theory of society. It does not conform to the patterns of the world and demands that society rids itself of all the muck of ages and founds itself anew.
Werner Bonefeld’s outstanding book revitalizes the best tradition of critical theory, which he proficiently combines with the critique of political economy and new readings of Marx. Bonefeld’s book is essential for anyone who wants to understand the inverted world of capitalism and to fight its barbarism.
Massimiliano Tomba, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Università di Padova, Italy
Werner Bonefeld’s outstanding book revitalizes the best tradition of critical theory, which he proficiently combines with the critique of political economy and new readings of Marx. Bonefeld’s book is essential for anyone who wants to understand the inverted world of capitalism and to fight its barbarism.
Massimiliano Tomba, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Università di Padova, Italy
Research Interests:
David Bruce (1898-1977) was a prominent American diplomat, who served in France, Germany, and the UK. His work is examined here to provide an in-depth look at the practice of diplomacy and the role of the ambassador as diplomatic... more
David Bruce (1898-1977) was a prominent American diplomat, who served in France, Germany, and the UK. His work is examined here to provide an in-depth look at the practice of diplomacy and the role of the ambassador as diplomatic actor.
This thorough survey aims to investigate the relevance of the resident embassy to modern diplomacy. To do so, it focuses on the ambassador's daily work as a diplomat, looking at his role in promoting friendly relations, his political reporting, policy advising, as well as the role of his staff and his relations with others in the Foreign Service. It also addresses major issues such as the debate over the 'death of the embassy,' showing that ambassadors remain vital actors in the relations between major powers.
The work integrates theoretical material on diplomatic practice and the case study of a highly regarded diplomat. This unique, readable study will appeal to students in diplomacy, international relations, American politics, as well as to trainee and junior diplomats.
This is an example of one of the best kinds of historical writing: an exhaustively researched and crisply written case study designed to examine general propositions, here those concerning chiefly the role of the embassy in modern diplomacy. In the process, Professor Young has not only scotched many myths but also produced a genuinely interesting book on Anglo-American relations, itself quite an achievement. I found it compulsive reading.
G. R. Berridge, Emeritus Professor of International Politics, University of Leicester, UK and Senior Fellow, DiploFoundation
This thorough survey aims to investigate the relevance of the resident embassy to modern diplomacy. To do so, it focuses on the ambassador's daily work as a diplomat, looking at his role in promoting friendly relations, his political reporting, policy advising, as well as the role of his staff and his relations with others in the Foreign Service. It also addresses major issues such as the debate over the 'death of the embassy,' showing that ambassadors remain vital actors in the relations between major powers.
The work integrates theoretical material on diplomatic practice and the case study of a highly regarded diplomat. This unique, readable study will appeal to students in diplomacy, international relations, American politics, as well as to trainee and junior diplomats.
This is an example of one of the best kinds of historical writing: an exhaustively researched and crisply written case study designed to examine general propositions, here those concerning chiefly the role of the embassy in modern diplomacy. In the process, Professor Young has not only scotched many myths but also produced a genuinely interesting book on Anglo-American relations, itself quite an achievement. I found it compulsive reading.
G. R. Berridge, Emeritus Professor of International Politics, University of Leicester, UK and Senior Fellow, DiploFoundation
Research Interests:
This book undertakes a critical examination of contemporary political problems through discussions of three utopian and three dystopian texts. Selected stories from Morris, Orwell, More, Bellamy, Neville, and Zamyatin are used to... more
This book undertakes a critical examination of contemporary political problems through discussions of three utopian and three dystopian texts.
Selected stories from Morris, Orwell, More, Bellamy, Neville, and Zamyatin are used to generate questions about fundamental economic, political, and social problems, human nature, and conceptions of the good life. This unique work is an exceptional resource for all students of political philosophy and utopian literature, as well as for general readers interested in political affairs.
In Cities at the End of the World David Lorenzo tackles key themes of utopian and dystopian writing, such as the relationship of the individual and society, the inherent tensions in the human pursuit of knowledge and happiness, and the role of the state in balancing personal desires against equality, justice and order. His focus on what we might be able to learn from his findings meanwhile follows the spirit of the authors he studies: by exploring alternative societies he calls on us to address contemporary problems. Combining acute analysis with accessibility Lorenzo’s work has much to offer, not just to scholars and general readers, but to political decision makers as well.
Gaby Mahlberg, Senior Lecturer, Early Modern British History, Northumbria
Selected stories from Morris, Orwell, More, Bellamy, Neville, and Zamyatin are used to generate questions about fundamental economic, political, and social problems, human nature, and conceptions of the good life. This unique work is an exceptional resource for all students of political philosophy and utopian literature, as well as for general readers interested in political affairs.
In Cities at the End of the World David Lorenzo tackles key themes of utopian and dystopian writing, such as the relationship of the individual and society, the inherent tensions in the human pursuit of knowledge and happiness, and the role of the state in balancing personal desires against equality, justice and order. His focus on what we might be able to learn from his findings meanwhile follows the spirit of the authors he studies: by exploring alternative societies he calls on us to address contemporary problems. Combining acute analysis with accessibility Lorenzo’s work has much to offer, not just to scholars and general readers, but to political decision makers as well.
Gaby Mahlberg, Senior Lecturer, Early Modern British History, Northumbria
Research Interests:
"Edited by Ruth Groff, Saint Louis University, USA. Subject & Object is a thematic collection of classic works by Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse, designed to foreground the authors’ philosophical concerns, especially... more
"Edited by Ruth Groff, Saint Louis University, USA. Subject & Object is a thematic collection of classic works by Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse, designed to foreground the authors’ philosophical concerns, especially in the areas of epistemology, ontology, and method. The volume, which includes lucid introductions to all of the selections, illustrates Frankfurt School approaches to questions such as the nature of reason; the limits of empiricism, pragmatism and Kantian transcendental idealism; the case for materialism; the difficulty of thinking counterfactually; and the ideological character of mainstream social science.
Many of the pieces in the volume are otherwise out of print. Subject & Object will be a resource for social, political, and cultural theorists who may be less familiar with the philosophical aspects of the Frankfurt School, for analytic philosophers who may not have had previous exposure to their work at all, and for anyone wanting access to these seminal texts. "
Many of the pieces in the volume are otherwise out of print. Subject & Object will be a resource for social, political, and cultural theorists who may be less familiar with the philosophical aspects of the Frankfurt School, for analytic philosophers who may not have had previous exposure to their work at all, and for anyone wanting access to these seminal texts. "
Research Interests:
Edited by Nikolas Kompridis, Australian Catholic University, AUS. The growing exploration of political life from an aesthetic perspective has become so prominent that we must now speak of an “aesthetic turn” in political thought. But what... more
Edited by Nikolas Kompridis, Australian Catholic University, AUS. The growing exploration of political life from an aesthetic perspective has become so prominent that we must now speak of an “aesthetic turn” in political thought. But what does it mean and what makes it an aesthetic turn? Why now? This diverse and path-breaking collection of essays answers these questions, provoking new ways to think about the possibilities and debilities of democratic politics.
Beginning from the premise that politics is already “aesthetic in principle,” the contributions to The Aesthetic Turn in Political Thought from some of the world’s leading political theorists and philosophers, disclose a distinct set of political problems: the aesthetic problems of modern politics. The aesthetic turn in political thought not only recognizes that these problems are different in kind from the standard problems of politics, it also recognizes that they call for a different kind of theorizing – a theorizing that is itself aesthetic.
A major contribution to contemporary theoretical debates, The Aesthetic Turn in Political Thought will be essential reading to anyone interested in the interdisciplinary crossroads of aesthetic and politics.
Beginning from the premise that politics is already “aesthetic in principle,” the contributions to The Aesthetic Turn in Political Thought from some of the world’s leading political theorists and philosophers, disclose a distinct set of political problems: the aesthetic problems of modern politics. The aesthetic turn in political thought not only recognizes that these problems are different in kind from the standard problems of politics, it also recognizes that they call for a different kind of theorizing – a theorizing that is itself aesthetic.
A major contribution to contemporary theoretical debates, The Aesthetic Turn in Political Thought will be essential reading to anyone interested in the interdisciplinary crossroads of aesthetic and politics.
Research Interests:
Written by Rasmus Ugilt, Aarhus University, Denmark. This groundbreaking study aims to provide a philosophical analysis of the phenomenon of terror, in particular the political reactions to it, such as public anxiety and pre-emptive... more
Written by Rasmus Ugilt, Aarhus University, Denmark. This groundbreaking study aims to provide a philosophical analysis of the phenomenon of terror, in particular the political reactions to it, such as public anxiety and pre-emptive wars, and to re-articulate the understanding of metaphysics through a consideration of its political implications.
The book reveals that the key feature of terror is "potentiality," that is, terror is always about "what could happen" as opposed to "what is likely to happen." This notion helps broaden the scope of the investigation, as the argument spans the ontology, political psychology, political cosmology, and political theology of terror. Each chapter begins with an empirical discussion, examining such topics as the political practices in reaction to terror, the politics of fear, warfare, sovereignty, and the debates about the state of exception in relations to anti-terrorism laws.
This unique examination of our political reality uncovers the axiom of terrorism, namely its "potentiality." Going beyond the scope of terrorism studies, it explains the philosophical underpinnings of terror without compromising on the empirical facts drawn from policymaking, jurisprudence and related fields.
The book reveals that the key feature of terror is "potentiality," that is, terror is always about "what could happen" as opposed to "what is likely to happen." This notion helps broaden the scope of the investigation, as the argument spans the ontology, political psychology, political cosmology, and political theology of terror. Each chapter begins with an empirical discussion, examining such topics as the political practices in reaction to terror, the politics of fear, warfare, sovereignty, and the debates about the state of exception in relations to anti-terrorism laws.
This unique examination of our political reality uncovers the axiom of terrorism, namely its "potentiality." Going beyond the scope of terrorism studies, it explains the philosophical underpinnings of terror without compromising on the empirical facts drawn from policymaking, jurisprudence and related fields.
Research Interests:
Written by James W. Peterson, Valdosta State University, USA. The text aims to uncover the roots of the United States' near perpetual involvement in war since the beginning of WWI in 1914. Using alliance politics as the main framework of... more
Written by James W. Peterson, Valdosta State University, USA. The text aims to uncover the roots of the United States' near perpetual involvement in war since the beginning of WWI in 1914. Using alliance politics as the main framework of analysis, it offers a new interpretation that contrasts with the traditional views that war is an interruption of the American foreign policy emphasis on diplomacy. Instead, it posits that war has been the norm during the past century while peaceful interludes were but a time of respite and preparation for the next conflict.
After a thorough discussion of the concepts of alliance building and the containment doctrine, the work then addresses such themes as the alliance networks used to confront German and Japanese powers during the early 20th century wars, the role of alliances in containing the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the creation of alliances to restrict and defeat rogue state powers, and whether they were useful when dealing with the challenges posed by terrorism in the post-9/11 world.
Each chapter features case studies, a summary, references, and web links. In addition, the book utilizes primary sources, such as U.S. Department of Defense and State documents and presidential statements. An exhaustive study of containment and alliance, this text will be an essential resource for anyone studying U.S. foreign policy, international relations, and national security.
After a thorough discussion of the concepts of alliance building and the containment doctrine, the work then addresses such themes as the alliance networks used to confront German and Japanese powers during the early 20th century wars, the role of alliances in containing the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the creation of alliances to restrict and defeat rogue state powers, and whether they were useful when dealing with the challenges posed by terrorism in the post-9/11 world.
Each chapter features case studies, a summary, references, and web links. In addition, the book utilizes primary sources, such as U.S. Department of Defense and State documents and presidential statements. An exhaustive study of containment and alliance, this text will be an essential resource for anyone studying U.S. foreign policy, international relations, and national security.
Research Interests:
Edited by Max Taylor and P.M. Currie, University of St Andrews, Scotland. In this groundbreaking work, leading scholars and experts set out to explore the utility of the concept of affordance in the study and understanding of terrorism... more
Edited by Max Taylor and P.M. Currie, University of St Andrews, Scotland. In this groundbreaking work, leading scholars and experts set out to explore the utility of the concept of affordance in the study and understanding of terrorism and political violence.
Affordance is a concept used in a variety of fields, from psychology to artificial intelligence, which refers to how the quality of an environment or object allows an individual to perform a specific action. This concept can represent an important element in the process of choice involved in behavior, and is closely related to situational analyses of criminal behavior. In this book, the contributors set out to explore how this concept can be used to study terrorism and, as a result, develop management strategies. Essays discuss such topics as affordance in relation to counterterrorism, technology, cyber-jihad, ideology, and political ecologies.
By importing the concept of affordance and a new set of research to the study of terrorism, the authors offer an innovative and original work that challenges and adds to various aspects of situational crime prevention and counterterrorism.
Affordance is a concept used in a variety of fields, from psychology to artificial intelligence, which refers to how the quality of an environment or object allows an individual to perform a specific action. This concept can represent an important element in the process of choice involved in behavior, and is closely related to situational analyses of criminal behavior. In this book, the contributors set out to explore how this concept can be used to study terrorism and, as a result, develop management strategies. Essays discuss such topics as affordance in relation to counterterrorism, technology, cyber-jihad, ideology, and political ecologies.
By importing the concept of affordance and a new set of research to the study of terrorism, the authors offer an innovative and original work that challenges and adds to various aspects of situational crime prevention and counterterrorism.
Research Interests:
Written by March Chou, Australian Catholic University, AUS. This engaging work tells the story of democracy through the perspective of tragic drama. It shows how the ancient tales of greatness and its loss point to the potential dangers... more
Written by March Chou, Australian Catholic University, AUS. This engaging work tells the story of democracy through the perspective of tragic drama. It shows how the ancient tales of greatness and its loss point to the potential dangers of democracy then and now.
Greek Tragedy dramatized a variety of stories, characters, and voices drawn from reality, especially from those marginalized by Athens's democracy. It brought up dissident figures through its multivocal form, disrupting the perception of an ordered reality. Today, this helps us grasp the reality of Athenian democracy, that is, a system steeped in patriarchy, slavery, warmongering, and xenophobia. The book reads through two renditions of Aeschylus' Suppliants as democratic texts for the twenty-first century, to show how such multivocal dramas actually address not only the pitfalls of our contemporary democracy, but also a range of environmental, security, socio-economic, and political dilemmas that afflict democratic politics today.
Written in a very accessible manner, Greek Tragedy and Contemporary Democracy is a lively book that will appeal to any political science and international relations student interested in issues of democracy, governance, democratic peace, and democratic theory.
Greek Tragedy dramatized a variety of stories, characters, and voices drawn from reality, especially from those marginalized by Athens's democracy. It brought up dissident figures through its multivocal form, disrupting the perception of an ordered reality. Today, this helps us grasp the reality of Athenian democracy, that is, a system steeped in patriarchy, slavery, warmongering, and xenophobia. The book reads through two renditions of Aeschylus' Suppliants as democratic texts for the twenty-first century, to show how such multivocal dramas actually address not only the pitfalls of our contemporary democracy, but also a range of environmental, security, socio-economic, and political dilemmas that afflict democratic politics today.
Written in a very accessible manner, Greek Tragedy and Contemporary Democracy is a lively book that will appeal to any political science and international relations student interested in issues of democracy, governance, democratic peace, and democratic theory.
Research Interests:
Written by Simon Stander, economist and writer, UK. This groundbreaking survey explains why war remains predominant in today's world by showing how the spread of nationalism and capitalism has brought about modern warfare. It argues that... more
Written by Simon Stander, economist and writer, UK. This groundbreaking survey explains why war remains predominant in today's world by showing how the spread of nationalism and capitalism has brought about modern warfare. It argues that the key explanation for modern conflict, which is characterized by violent conflicts between nation-states, civil war, and wars over resources, rests in the dialectical relationship between nation-states and capitalist modes of production, where nations have finite boundaries that capitalism seek to transcend in search of increased profits. Discussing issues such as globalization, global capitalism, North and Latin American continental policies, the nature of democracy, decolonization, and technology and military industrial complexes, this unique work challenges common approaches to international relations and peace studies.
This innovative, accessible work provides new insights into the causes and nature of modern war that will appeal to any student concerned with peace and violent conflict within the various fields of international relations, political economy, peace studies, and more.
This innovative, accessible work provides new insights into the causes and nature of modern war that will appeal to any student concerned with peace and violent conflict within the various fields of international relations, political economy, peace studies, and more.
Research Interests:
Written by Anthony Celso, Angelo State University, USA. This examination of al-Qaeda's decline since the 9/11 attacks focuses on the terror organization's mutation and fragmentation. It looks at its partnership with the local and regional... more
Written by Anthony Celso, Angelo State University, USA. This examination of al-Qaeda's decline since the 9/11 attacks focuses on the terror organization's mutation and fragmentation. It looks at its partnership with the local and regional jihadist networks that played a pivotal role in the Madrid, London, and Fort Hood attacks, arguing that, although initially successful, such alliances actually unraveled following both anti-terror policies and a growing rejection of violent jihadism in the Muslim world.
Challenging conventional theories about al-Qaeda and homegrown terrorism, the book claims that jihadist attacks are now organized by overlapping international and regional networks that have become frustrated in their inability to enforce regime change and their ideological goals. The discussion spans the war on terror, analyzing major post 9/11 attacks, the failed jihadist struggle in Iraq, al-Qaeda's affiliates, and the organization's future prospects after the death of Osama Bin Laden and the Arab Spring.
This assessment of the future of the jihadist struggle against Muslim governments and homegrown Islamic terrorism in the West will be an invaluable resource to anyone studying terrorism and Islamic extremism.
Challenging conventional theories about al-Qaeda and homegrown terrorism, the book claims that jihadist attacks are now organized by overlapping international and regional networks that have become frustrated in their inability to enforce regime change and their ideological goals. The discussion spans the war on terror, analyzing major post 9/11 attacks, the failed jihadist struggle in Iraq, al-Qaeda's affiliates, and the organization's future prospects after the death of Osama Bin Laden and the Arab Spring.
This assessment of the future of the jihadist struggle against Muslim governments and homegrown Islamic terrorism in the West will be an invaluable resource to anyone studying terrorism and Islamic extremism.
Research Interests:
Written by Adrian Little, University of Melbourne, AUS. This unique text challenges the notion that absence of conflict is the foundation and norm of a stable political environment. Combining complexity theory and the notion of signature... more
Written by Adrian Little, University of Melbourne, AUS. This unique text challenges the notion that absence of conflict is the foundation and norm of a stable political environment. Combining complexity theory and the notion of signature with case studies, it argues that political processes need to be understood within their social and cultural contexts. It thus develops the idea of enduring conflict, referring to both the enduring nature of political conflict and the endurance of people in conflict-ridden societies, looking at countries involved in conflict transformation, such as Northern Ireland, Cambodia, Indonesia, and South Africa. Examining debates around trauma, memory, and reconciliation, the work shows how conflicts are so socially and culturally ingrained and protracted that political agreements alone cannot bring substantive change. In addition, key texts, such as peace agreements, along with interviews of politicians, participants, and NGOs help identify the conditions under which notions like peace, democracy, and conflict resolution can even be conceived - let alone implemented.
This innovative text is a significant contribution to the literature as it highlights the limitations of conflict resolution strategies and identifies the issues that pertain to conflicts throughout global politics. Written in an accessible manner, it will be highly attractive to students in conflict processes, peace studies, and international relations theory.
This innovative text is a significant contribution to the literature as it highlights the limitations of conflict resolution strategies and identifies the issues that pertain to conflicts throughout global politics. Written in an accessible manner, it will be highly attractive to students in conflict processes, peace studies, and international relations theory.
Research Interests:
Edited by Abbas Maleki, Sharif University, Iran and John Tirman, MIT Center for International Studies, US. Can Iranians and Americans find common ground to overcome their troubled history? U.S.-Iran Misperceptions is the first written... more
Edited by Abbas Maleki, Sharif University, Iran and John Tirman, MIT Center for International Studies, US. Can Iranians and Americans find common ground to overcome their troubled history? U.S.-Iran Misperceptions is the first written dialogue on the key issues that separate these two great countries. Bringing together former policy makers and international relations experts from the United States and Iran, U.S.-Iran Misperceptions: A Dialogue provides new insights into and arguments about how each country’s elites view the other, and how misperceptions have blocked the two from forging a normal and productive relationship. Guided by the leading theorist of misperceptions in international relations, Columbia University Professor Robert Jervis, the book moves from Jervis’s opening essay to consider mutual perceptions of ideology, nuclear weapons, neo-imperialism, regional hegemony, and the future of the relationship. It presents authoritative, clear-eyed assessments, while seeking plausible ways the two countries can avoid a catastrophic war and rebuild the relationship. U.S.-Iran Misperceptions: A Dialogue offers uncompromising analysis and cautious optimism.
Research Interests:
Written by Igna M. Jacobs, Research Manager for Water-Centred Knowledge at the South African Water Research Commission (WRC) in Pretoria, South Africa. Water resources and related issues are of great significance in 21st century politics.... more
Written by Igna M. Jacobs, Research Manager for Water-Centred Knowledge at the South African Water Research Commission (WRC) in Pretoria, South Africa. Water resources and related issues are of great significance in 21st century politics. In Africa, for example, hydropolitics affect politics and policymaking at the local, national, and international levels. To investigate water politics, this unique work focuses on the issue transboundary water governance in Southern and Eastern Africa.
Based on extensive field research, it offers a comparative study of the Orange Senqu and Nile basins in Africa, arguing that both causal and behavioral factors (such as localization and trust building) drive the multi-leveled development of cooperative management norms and foster the creation of regional communities of interest.
The book combines theory, analysis, and fieldwork within the framework of Constructivism as well as a wide range of examples to identify and analyze the nature of norms in hydropolitics. By doing so, it will help shape the debate on how water conflict and cooperative governance should evolve and will interest anyone studying African politics, hydropolitics, and issues of development.
Based on extensive field research, it offers a comparative study of the Orange Senqu and Nile basins in Africa, arguing that both causal and behavioral factors (such as localization and trust building) drive the multi-leveled development of cooperative management norms and foster the creation of regional communities of interest.
The book combines theory, analysis, and fieldwork within the framework of Constructivism as well as a wide range of examples to identify and analyze the nature of norms in hydropolitics. By doing so, it will help shape the debate on how water conflict and cooperative governance should evolve and will interest anyone studying African politics, hydropolitics, and issues of development.
Research Interests:
Written by Fabio Vighi, Cardiff University, UK. Critical Theory and Film brings together critical theory and film to enhance the critical potential of both. The book focuses on the Frankfurt School, most notably the works of Adorno and... more
Written by Fabio Vighi, Cardiff University, UK. Critical Theory and Film brings together critical theory and film to enhance the critical potential of both.
The book focuses on the Frankfurt School, most notably the works of Adorno and Horkheimer, as well as associated thinkers.
It seeks to demonstrate that cinema can help critical theory repoliticize culture and society and affirm the theoretical and political impact of cinematic knowledge. After discussing how the Frankfurt School saw cinema as an instrument of capitalism use to promote the cultural and political regimentation of the masses, Vighi then proceeds to demonstrate that critical theory can in fact suggest a different verdict on the progressive potential of cinema.
Each chapter focuses on a key critical theory concept that is explained and redefined through film analysis to unravel the hidden presuppositions and most radical consequences of critical theory.
A unique contribution to the literature, this volume in the Critical Theory and Contemporary Society series offer an innovative reading of film as a critical tool, drawing on the latest developments in Lacanian theory.
The book focuses on the Frankfurt School, most notably the works of Adorno and Horkheimer, as well as associated thinkers.
It seeks to demonstrate that cinema can help critical theory repoliticize culture and society and affirm the theoretical and political impact of cinematic knowledge. After discussing how the Frankfurt School saw cinema as an instrument of capitalism use to promote the cultural and political regimentation of the masses, Vighi then proceeds to demonstrate that critical theory can in fact suggest a different verdict on the progressive potential of cinema.
Each chapter focuses on a key critical theory concept that is explained and redefined through film analysis to unravel the hidden presuppositions and most radical consequences of critical theory.
A unique contribution to the literature, this volume in the Critical Theory and Contemporary Society series offer an innovative reading of film as a critical tool, drawing on the latest developments in Lacanian theory.
Research Interests:
Written by Espen D. H. Olsen, University of Oslo, Norway. This book argues that European citizenship is transnational, a status that has emerged incrementally during the European integration process. Transnational Citizenship in the... more
Written by Espen D. H. Olsen, University of Oslo, Norway. This book argues that European citizenship is transnational, a status that has emerged incrementally during the European integration process.
Transnational Citizenship in the European Union follows an institutionalist approach and traces the development of citizenship discourse from the founding treaties of the EU to the most recent effort of constitution-making and the Lisbon Treaty. This helps demonstrate that such discourse has followed a path based on the foundational principles of free movement and non-discrimination rather than revolutionary ideas of a postnational citizenship beyond the nation-state.
This in-depth analysis of citizenship in the EU takes into account the institutional configuration of membership, rights, identity, and participation. It also brings in the domestic level of the debate through the examination of national positions on reform proposals and the interplay between EU and member states conceptions of citizenship.
Lastly, by investigating citizenship practices, the book helps foster understanding of how the EU works as a political system, and the relationship between European institutions and the recipients of their integrative politics , i.e., the citizens.
Transnational Citizenship in the European Union follows an institutionalist approach and traces the development of citizenship discourse from the founding treaties of the EU to the most recent effort of constitution-making and the Lisbon Treaty. This helps demonstrate that such discourse has followed a path based on the foundational principles of free movement and non-discrimination rather than revolutionary ideas of a postnational citizenship beyond the nation-state.
This in-depth analysis of citizenship in the EU takes into account the institutional configuration of membership, rights, identity, and participation. It also brings in the domestic level of the debate through the examination of national positions on reform proposals and the interplay between EU and member states conceptions of citizenship.
Lastly, by investigating citizenship practices, the book helps foster understanding of how the EU works as a political system, and the relationship between European institutions and the recipients of their integrative politics , i.e., the citizens.
Research Interests:
Written by Barry Scott Zellen, senior research scholar at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA. The work examines the rise of the movements against globalization, modernization, and Western dominance that followed the collapse of... more
Written by Barry Scott Zellen, senior research scholar at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA. The work examines the rise of the movements against globalization, modernization, and Western dominance that followed the collapse of the bipolar world and the end of the Cold War and that culminated with today's global jihadist movements. It describes how the U.S. had to adapt to this new, asymmetrical world of conflict with its strategic, doctrinal and theoretical responses to the threats of terrorism and insurgency that defined the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
Unique in the breadth of its scope, the book connects movements from the Zapatista uprising to Al Qaeda's global jihad within a broader historical framework, connecting pre and post-9/11 conflicts under the unifying theme of a struggle against the forces of modernization. Featuring the works of key theorists such as John Arquilla, Thomas P.M. Barnett, Arthur K. Cebrowski, Jim Gant, Samuel P. Huntington, Robert D. Kaplan, David J. Kilcullen, William H. McRaven, and David Ronfeldt, this book bridges the fields of counterinsurgency, homeland security, counterterrorism, cyberwarfare, and technology of war, and will be a must-read for academics, policymakers and strategists.
Unique in the breadth of its scope, the book connects movements from the Zapatista uprising to Al Qaeda's global jihad within a broader historical framework, connecting pre and post-9/11 conflicts under the unifying theme of a struggle against the forces of modernization. Featuring the works of key theorists such as John Arquilla, Thomas P.M. Barnett, Arthur K. Cebrowski, Jim Gant, Samuel P. Huntington, Robert D. Kaplan, David J. Kilcullen, William H. McRaven, and David Ronfeldt, this book bridges the fields of counterinsurgency, homeland security, counterterrorism, cyberwarfare, and technology of war, and will be a must-read for academics, policymakers and strategists.
Research Interests:
Written by David Bell Mislan, American University, USA. Why do presidents, when facing the same circumstances, focus on different threats to national security? Enemies of the American Way attempts to answer this question by investigating... more
Written by David Bell Mislan, American University, USA. Why do presidents, when facing the same circumstances, focus on different threats to national security? Enemies of the American Way attempts to answer this question by investigating the role of identity in presidential decision making.
The book explains why presidents disagree on what constitute a threat to the US security via the study of three US presidencies in the 19th century (Cleveland, Harrison and McKinley). These case studies help draw a theory of threat identification to understand how and why specific actions are taken, including the decision to wage war. Using a constructivist approach, the book develops a rule-based identity theory to posit that American identity defines potential national security threats, i.e., how a policymaker defines Americans also defines the threats to Americans.
Enemies of the American Way offers a new means of understanding a key period when America rose to prominence in international relations while proposing a template that can be used to explain American foreign policy today. It will appeal to students of international relations and foreign policy.
The book explains why presidents disagree on what constitute a threat to the US security via the study of three US presidencies in the 19th century (Cleveland, Harrison and McKinley). These case studies help draw a theory of threat identification to understand how and why specific actions are taken, including the decision to wage war. Using a constructivist approach, the book develops a rule-based identity theory to posit that American identity defines potential national security threats, i.e., how a policymaker defines Americans also defines the threats to Americans.
Enemies of the American Way offers a new means of understanding a key period when America rose to prominence in international relations while proposing a template that can be used to explain American foreign policy today. It will appeal to students of international relations and foreign policy.
Research Interests:
Written by David M. Berry, University of Sussex, UK. This Critical Theory and Contemporary Society volume offers an original analysis of the role of the digital in today's society. It rearticulates critical theory by engaging it with the... more
Written by David M. Berry, University of Sussex, UK. This Critical Theory and Contemporary Society volume offers an original analysis of the role of the digital in today's society. It rearticulates critical theory by engaging it with the challenges of the digital revolution to show how the digital is changing the ways in which we lead our politics, societies, economies, media, and even private lives. In particular, the work examines how the enlightenment values embedded within the culture and materiality of digital technology can be used to explain the changes that are occurring across society.
Critical Theory and the Digital draws from the critical concepts developed by critical theorists to demonstrate how the digital needs to be understood within a dialectic of potentially democratizing and totalizing technical power. By relating critical theory to aspects of a code-based digital world and the political economy that it leads to, the book introduces the importance of the digital code in the contemporary world to researchers in the field of politics, sociology, globalization and media studies.
Critical Theory and the Digital draws from the critical concepts developed by critical theorists to demonstrate how the digital needs to be understood within a dialectic of potentially democratizing and totalizing technical power. By relating critical theory to aspects of a code-based digital world and the political economy that it leads to, the book introduces the importance of the digital code in the contemporary world to researchers in the field of politics, sociology, globalization and media studies.
Research Interests:
Written by Matthew Abraham, University of Arizona, USA. Academic freedom is a key element of the academic enterprise in the U.S. However, it does not seem to exist when scholars seek to advocate on behalf of Palestinian... more
Written by Matthew Abraham, University of Arizona, USA. Academic freedom is a key element of the academic enterprise in the U.S. However, it does not seem to exist when scholars seek to advocate on behalf of Palestinian self-determination.
This unique work examines how the knowledge-power nexus is shaping the discourse around the Israel-Palestine conflict and restricting academic freedom. Beginning with a discussion of American Zionism, the work proceeds to explain why scholars working on the question of Palestine are often denied standard academic freedom. This is supported by prominent cases, such as Norman G. Finkelstein's denial of tenure, the Middle East Studies Department at Columbia University, and Mearsheimer and Walt's book, The Israel Lobby. The work of Edward Said and Noam Chomsky are also discussed and the book concludes with recommendations for protecting intellectual freedom to those seeking to critically pursue the question of Palestine.
This scholarly study will appeal to a broad audience of faculty, students, and readers who seek to understand the importance of academic freedom and the thorny debates surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
This unique work examines how the knowledge-power nexus is shaping the discourse around the Israel-Palestine conflict and restricting academic freedom. Beginning with a discussion of American Zionism, the work proceeds to explain why scholars working on the question of Palestine are often denied standard academic freedom. This is supported by prominent cases, such as Norman G. Finkelstein's denial of tenure, the Middle East Studies Department at Columbia University, and Mearsheimer and Walt's book, The Israel Lobby. The work of Edward Said and Noam Chomsky are also discussed and the book concludes with recommendations for protecting intellectual freedom to those seeking to critically pursue the question of Palestine.
This scholarly study will appeal to a broad audience of faculty, students, and readers who seek to understand the importance of academic freedom and the thorny debates surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Research Interests:
Written by Charles Masquelier, University of Surrey, UK. This volume in the Critical Theory and Contemporary Society series examines the role critical theory plays in today's political, social, and economic crises, showing how it can help... more
Written by Charles Masquelier, University of Surrey, UK. This volume in the Critical Theory and Contemporary Society series examines the role critical theory plays in today's political, social, and economic crises, showing how it can help to both diagnose and remedy such problems.
Critical social theory is first revisited by exposing the affinity between Marx's critique of political economy, the critique of instrumental reason elaborated by the first generation of the Frankfurt School, and the libertarian socialism of G.D.H. Cole. This is followed by a proposal for a radical reorganization of economic and political life and the corresponding development of emancipatory practices presupposing the reconciliation of humanity and nature. Lastly, the contemporary relevance of these institutions and practices are discussed, along with cases of contemporary forms of resistance, such as the Occupy Movement and alter-globalisation.
By bringing together the concerns of critical theory and libertarian socialism, this volume not only illustrates the practical side of critical theory, but also highlights its contemporary relevance. Researchers in political theory, social theory and political philosophy will find this an engaging work that will stimulate debates about new alternatives to existing problems.
Critical social theory is first revisited by exposing the affinity between Marx's critique of political economy, the critique of instrumental reason elaborated by the first generation of the Frankfurt School, and the libertarian socialism of G.D.H. Cole. This is followed by a proposal for a radical reorganization of economic and political life and the corresponding development of emancipatory practices presupposing the reconciliation of humanity and nature. Lastly, the contemporary relevance of these institutions and practices are discussed, along with cases of contemporary forms of resistance, such as the Occupy Movement and alter-globalisation.
By bringing together the concerns of critical theory and libertarian socialism, this volume not only illustrates the practical side of critical theory, but also highlights its contemporary relevance. Researchers in political theory, social theory and political philosophy will find this an engaging work that will stimulate debates about new alternatives to existing problems.
Research Interests:
Written by John F. Morrison, University of East London, UK. Throughout its history the Irish Republican Movement has been beset by splits. The former paramilitary and author Brendan Behan famously quipped that, ‘The first thing on the... more
Written by John F. Morrison, University of East London, UK. Throughout its history the Irish Republican Movement has been beset by splits. The former paramilitary and author Brendan Behan famously quipped that, ‘The first thing on the agenda was always the split.’ In this in-depth research Morrison analyses the splits through his extensive range of interviews with leadership and rank and file members of the political and paramilitary wings of the Movement. This timely analysis shows how the splits have both aided the politicization of Sinn Fein and the Provisional IRA while in parallel they have brought about the recent intensification of dissident Republican paramilitary activity. He charts the rise of groups including the Real IRA, Continuity IRA and the newly emerging ‘New IRA.’ By applying his unique process model of splits Morrison provides an insightful analysis of this long-lasting terrorist movement.
Research Interests:
Written by Justin Zaremby, Ph.D. in Political Science and a J.D. from Yale University, USA. In the first part of the 20th century, a group of law scholars offered engaging, and occasionally disconcerting, views on the role of judges and... more
Written by Justin Zaremby, Ph.D. in Political Science and a J.D. from Yale University, USA. In the first part of the 20th century, a group of law scholars offered engaging, and occasionally disconcerting, views on the role of judges and the relationship between law and politics in the United States. These legal realists borrowed methods from the social sciences to carefully study the law as experienced by lawyers, judges, and average citizens and promoted a progressive vision for American law and society. Legal realism investigated the nature of legal reasoning, the purpose of law, and the role of judges. The movement asked questions which reshaped the study of jurisprudence and continue to drive lively debates about the law and politics in classrooms, courtrooms, and even the halls of Congress.
This thorough analysis provides an introduction to the ideas, context, and leading personalities of legal realism. It helps situate an important movement in legal theory in the context of American politics and political thought and will be of great interest to students of judicial politics, American constitutional development, and political theory.
This thorough analysis provides an introduction to the ideas, context, and leading personalities of legal realism. It helps situate an important movement in legal theory in the context of American politics and political thought and will be of great interest to students of judicial politics, American constitutional development, and political theory.
Research Interests:
Written by William Outhwaite, Newcastle University, UK. Critical Theory and Contemporary Europe introduces the major contributions critical theorists made to the study of Europe, from the interwar years to the present time. The work... more
Written by William Outhwaite, Newcastle University, UK. Critical Theory and Contemporary Europe introduces the major contributions critical theorists made to the study of Europe, from the interwar years to the present time.
The work begins with theorists such as Adorno who addressed Nazism and the Holocaust, then moves on to discuss the postwar affluence of capitalist Europe. It proceeds to examine how critical theorists provided much of the analysis that motivated the student and youth movements of 1968 and subsequent alternative social movements. Lastly, it relates the development of a critical theory of state socialism, looking at the works of thinkers such as Arato, Offe, and Habermas and how critical theory is now addressing social issues such as European xenophobia and the future of Europe.
This new volume in the Critical Theory and Contemporary Society series brings together critical theory and European studies in a clear, accessible manner and shows the relevance of critical theory to practical political issues.
The work begins with theorists such as Adorno who addressed Nazism and the Holocaust, then moves on to discuss the postwar affluence of capitalist Europe. It proceeds to examine how critical theorists provided much of the analysis that motivated the student and youth movements of 1968 and subsequent alternative social movements. Lastly, it relates the development of a critical theory of state socialism, looking at the works of thinkers such as Arato, Offe, and Habermas and how critical theory is now addressing social issues such as European xenophobia and the future of Europe.
This new volume in the Critical Theory and Contemporary Society series brings together critical theory and European studies in a clear, accessible manner and shows the relevance of critical theory to practical political issues.
Research Interests:
Edited by Alison Dagnes and Mark Sachleben, Shippensburg University, USA. There are many types of political scandals: sex, corruption, and election scandals are but a few. Political scandals are public events that have tremendous... more
Edited by Alison Dagnes and Mark Sachleben, Shippensburg University, USA. There are many types of political scandals: sex, corruption, and election scandals are but a few. Political scandals are public events that have tremendous consequence on citizenry and can undermine democratic institutions—when we pay attention to scandal, we risk ignoring weightier matters.
This volume brings together an array of academics to explore the impact of political scandals. What makes this book different from others is the wide spectrum of perspectives brought together to help analyze a single subject.
This volume brings together an array of academics to explore the impact of political scandals. What makes this book different from others is the wide spectrum of perspectives brought together to help analyze a single subject.
Research Interests:
Written by Guillermina Seri, Union College NY, USA. This study of police governance draws on over ninety interviews conducted with Argentine police officers. In Argentina, a rising fear of crime has led to the politics of Seguridad, a... more
Written by Guillermina Seri, Union College NY, USA. This study of police governance draws on over ninety interviews conducted with Argentine police officers. In Argentina, a rising fear of crime has led to the politics of Seguridad, a concept that amalgamates personal safety with state security. As a new governing rationale, Seguridad is strengthening forms of police intervention that weaken the democracy. As they target crime, the police have the power to deny rights, deciding whether an individual is a citizen or a criminal suspect - the latter often being attributed to members of vulnerable groups.
This study brings together key issues of governance that involve the police, democracy, and the quality of citizenship. It sheds light on how the police act as gatekeepers of citizenship and administrators of rights and law. Here, the rhetoric of Seguridad is seen as an ideological framework that masks inequality and unites "good" citizens.
Seguridad shows how police practices should be part of our understanding of regimes and will appeal to anyone concerned with security forces, as well as researchers in democratic theory and Latin American politics.
This study brings together key issues of governance that involve the police, democracy, and the quality of citizenship. It sheds light on how the police act as gatekeepers of citizenship and administrators of rights and law. Here, the rhetoric of Seguridad is seen as an ideological framework that masks inequality and unites "good" citizens.
Seguridad shows how police practices should be part of our understanding of regimes and will appeal to anyone concerned with security forces, as well as researchers in democratic theory and Latin American politics.
Research Interests:
Written by Marcelo Hoffman, Marian University (Indianapolis), USA. Michel Foucault is one of the most preeminent theorists of power, yet the relationship between his militant activities and his analysis of power remains unclear. The book... more
Written by Marcelo Hoffman, Marian University (Indianapolis), USA. Michel Foucault is one of the most preeminent theorists of power, yet the relationship between his militant activities and his analysis of power remains unclear. The book explores this relationship to explain the development of Foucault's thinking about power.
Using newly translated and unpublished materials, it examines what led Foucault to take on the question of power in the early 1970s and subsequently refine his thinking, working through different models (war and government) and modalities (disciplinary, biopolitical and governmental). Looking at Foucault's political trajectory, from his immersion in the prisoner support movement to his engagements with the Iranian revolution and Solidarity in Poland, the book shows the militant underpinning of his interest in the question of power and its various shifts and mutations.
This thorough account, which includes the first translation of a report edited by Foucault on prison conditions, will provide students in contemporary political theory with a better understanding of Foucault's thinking about power and of the interplay between political activities and theoretical productions.
Using newly translated and unpublished materials, it examines what led Foucault to take on the question of power in the early 1970s and subsequently refine his thinking, working through different models (war and government) and modalities (disciplinary, biopolitical and governmental). Looking at Foucault's political trajectory, from his immersion in the prisoner support movement to his engagements with the Iranian revolution and Solidarity in Poland, the book shows the militant underpinning of his interest in the question of power and its various shifts and mutations.
This thorough account, which includes the first translation of a report edited by Foucault on prison conditions, will provide students in contemporary political theory with a better understanding of Foucault's thinking about power and of the interplay between political activities and theoretical productions.
Research Interests:
Written by Anthony K. Fleming, University of West Georgia, USA. The shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007 was one of the worst mass murders in the U.S., but it did not lead to any new federal gun control policy. In contrast, following a... more
Written by Anthony K. Fleming, University of West Georgia, USA. The shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007 was one of the worst mass murders in the U.S., but it did not lead to any new federal gun control policy. In contrast, following a similar event in Montreal in 1989, Canada created new comprehensive gun policy.
Such different outcomes are the focus of this survey, which sets out to explore the gun policymaking process in the U.S. and Canada in the aftermath of major events. It explores the many factors that lead to the drastically different reactions of the federal governments in each state if the aftermath of a mass shooting or assassination. To do so, it examines such elements as institutional arrangements, interest groups pressures (NRA, e.g.), and the party in power, studying the impact of such key events as the assassinations of J.F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Georgina Leimonis and shootings that occurred at Columbine, Stockton, and Vernon.
A unique comparative study, Gun Policy in the United States and Canada will be an essential resource to anyone researching gun policy issues and comparative policymaking.
Such different outcomes are the focus of this survey, which sets out to explore the gun policymaking process in the U.S. and Canada in the aftermath of major events. It explores the many factors that lead to the drastically different reactions of the federal governments in each state if the aftermath of a mass shooting or assassination. To do so, it examines such elements as institutional arrangements, interest groups pressures (NRA, e.g.), and the party in power, studying the impact of such key events as the assassinations of J.F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Georgina Leimonis and shootings that occurred at Columbine, Stockton, and Vernon.
A unique comparative study, Gun Policy in the United States and Canada will be an essential resource to anyone researching gun policy issues and comparative policymaking.
Research Interests:
Edited by Gianni Vattimo, University of Turin, Italy and Michael Marder, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. This volume in the Political Theory and Contemporary Philosophy series provides a political and... more
Edited by Gianni Vattimo, University of Turin, Italy and Michael Marder, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. This volume in the Political Theory and Contemporary Philosophy series provides a political and philosophical critique of Zionism.
While other nationalisms seem to have adapted to twenty-first century realities and shifting notions of state and nation, Zionism has largely remained tethered to a nineteenth century mentality, including the glorification of the state as the only means of expressing the spirit of the people. These essays, contributed by eminent international thinkers including Slavoj Zizek, Luce Irigaray, Judith Butler, Gianni Vattimo, Walter Mignolo, Marc Ellis, and others, deconstruct the political-metaphysical myths that are the framework for the existence of Israel.Collectively, they offer a multifaceted critique of the metaphysical, theological, and onto-political grounds of the Zionist project and the economic, geopolitical, and cultural outcomes of these foundations.
A significant contribution to the debates surrounding the state of Israel today, this groundbreaking work will appeal to anyone interested in political theory, philosophy, Jewish thought, and the Middle East conflict.
While other nationalisms seem to have adapted to twenty-first century realities and shifting notions of state and nation, Zionism has largely remained tethered to a nineteenth century mentality, including the glorification of the state as the only means of expressing the spirit of the people. These essays, contributed by eminent international thinkers including Slavoj Zizek, Luce Irigaray, Judith Butler, Gianni Vattimo, Walter Mignolo, Marc Ellis, and others, deconstruct the political-metaphysical myths that are the framework for the existence of Israel.Collectively, they offer a multifaceted critique of the metaphysical, theological, and onto-political grounds of the Zionist project and the economic, geopolitical, and cultural outcomes of these foundations.
A significant contribution to the debates surrounding the state of Israel today, this groundbreaking work will appeal to anyone interested in political theory, philosophy, Jewish thought, and the Middle East conflict.
Research Interests:
Written by Mika Luoma-aho, University of Lapland, Finland. Religion is prevalent in world politics today, and international relation theory is at pains to understand and explain this phenomenon. This unique study aims to introduce... more
Written by Mika Luoma-aho, University of Lapland, Finland. Religion is prevalent in world politics today, and international relation theory is at pains to understand and explain this phenomenon.
This unique study aims to introduce political theology as an appropriate tool to the study of international relations. In accordance with the political theology of Carl Schmitt, which states that modern political concepts are secularized theological concepts, the work questions the "secular" foundations of contemporary international relations theory. Thus it reveals the Christian foundations of the discipline of international relations and delivers a critique of some of its most fundamental theoretical elements, such as its secular view of religion as part of the "irrational," its deification of the political form of the nation state, and its negation of theism in its understanding of responsibility in world politics.
The result is a primer on how international relations and its studies have grown out of the political imagination of Christian theology. It will appeal to anyone interested in critical approaches to the field as well as in politics and religion, political theory, and political theology.
This unique study aims to introduce political theology as an appropriate tool to the study of international relations. In accordance with the political theology of Carl Schmitt, which states that modern political concepts are secularized theological concepts, the work questions the "secular" foundations of contemporary international relations theory. Thus it reveals the Christian foundations of the discipline of international relations and delivers a critique of some of its most fundamental theoretical elements, such as its secular view of religion as part of the "irrational," its deification of the political form of the nation state, and its negation of theism in its understanding of responsibility in world politics.
The result is a primer on how international relations and its studies have grown out of the political imagination of Christian theology. It will appeal to anyone interested in critical approaches to the field as well as in politics and religion, political theory, and political theology.
Research Interests:
Written by Adam Gearey, University of London, UK. Justice as Welfare provides an egalitarian account of distributive justice by rethinking notions of welfare. It first considers possible forms of decentered welfare to promote communal and... more
Written by Adam Gearey, University of London, UK. Justice as Welfare provides an egalitarian account of distributive justice by rethinking notions of welfare. It first considers possible forms of decentered welfare to promote communal and individual autonomy rather than the bureaucratic, centralized market-oriented control. Next, it uses theoretical resources to rethink the conventional notions of solidarity that support welfare.
Drawing on recent work in continental philosophy, Justice as Welfare suggests that welfare requires a notion of social ontology. It provides both an account of the existential context of communal risk sharing and a framework to think about desire, value, and opportunity. Noting present political and economic realities, it suggests that international strategies to control 'flight capital' are necessary to create and maintain egalitarian welfare.
Justice as Welfare aims to present a convincing theoretical account of welfare as social justice and to show how this requires the assertion of democratic control over economic and social reproduction at both national and international levels. This philosophically informed argument about egalitarian justice will appeal to anyone researching issues of social welfare, political theory, and applied political philosophy.
Drawing on recent work in continental philosophy, Justice as Welfare suggests that welfare requires a notion of social ontology. It provides both an account of the existential context of communal risk sharing and a framework to think about desire, value, and opportunity. Noting present political and economic realities, it suggests that international strategies to control 'flight capital' are necessary to create and maintain egalitarian welfare.
Justice as Welfare aims to present a convincing theoretical account of welfare as social justice and to show how this requires the assertion of democratic control over economic and social reproduction at both national and international levels. This philosophically informed argument about egalitarian justice will appeal to anyone researching issues of social welfare, political theory, and applied political philosophy.
Research Interests:
Written by Jonardon Ganeri, University of Sussex, UK. A companion volume to Jonardon Ganeri’s popular textbook, Philosophy in Classical India: The Proper Work of Reason, this new book surveys in a lively and accessible style the nature of... more
Written by Jonardon Ganeri, University of Sussex, UK. A companion volume to Jonardon Ganeri’s popular textbook, Philosophy in Classical India: The Proper Work of Reason, this new book surveys in a lively and accessible style the nature of practical and public reason in India. It provides what is missing in Amartya Sen’s widely admired The Argumentative Indian: detailed discussion of the thinkers—dissenters and heretics, as well as mainstream voices—whose astonishing ideas so enrich contemporary discussion.
Research Interests:
Written by Michel Serres, Stanford University, USA. For Michel Serres, economic crises are earthquakes caused by societal tectonic plates. The current crisis erupted because of the widening discrepancy between major social changes and... more
Written by Michel Serres, Stanford University, USA. For Michel Serres, economic crises are earthquakes caused by societal tectonic plates. The current crisis erupted because of the widening discrepancy between major social changes and institutions that have remained the same since WWII.
Serres, one of the first to bring nature into the political, writes, "To destroy, kill, exploit is worthless. In the long run, it means destroying ourselves." At a time when the world population has grown so much that it is exhausting natural resources and the environment, we need to rethink cultural, social, and political dynamics. Serres argues that geopolitics and economics will no longer be a two-player game, between West and East, for example, but a three-player one, in which is Earth will be the third partner.
This book is one of hope as it calls for a new world and extols the importance of science for our future and political institutions. Here, Serres demonstrates an optimistic outlook in a clear and luminous language that offers new paths for reflection and, ultimately, a better life for Earth and its inhabitants.
Serres, one of the first to bring nature into the political, writes, "To destroy, kill, exploit is worthless. In the long run, it means destroying ourselves." At a time when the world population has grown so much that it is exhausting natural resources and the environment, we need to rethink cultural, social, and political dynamics. Serres argues that geopolitics and economics will no longer be a two-player game, between West and East, for example, but a three-player one, in which is Earth will be the third partner.
This book is one of hope as it calls for a new world and extols the importance of science for our future and political institutions. Here, Serres demonstrates an optimistic outlook in a clear and luminous language that offers new paths for reflection and, ultimately, a better life for Earth and its inhabitants.
Research Interests:
"Written by Mary Fran T. Malone, University of New Hampshire, USA. The book is a thorough study that focuses on the impact of the current crime wave on citizens' respect for the law in countries such as Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica,... more
"Written by Mary Fran T. Malone, University of New Hampshire, USA. The book is a thorough study that focuses on the impact of the current crime wave on citizens' respect for the law in countries such as Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
The work opens with a brief review of the literature on the rule of law and legal socialization, followed by an historical overview of the democratization and justice reform in Central America from the 1990s to the present. Set as a comparative, micro-level study, the work then looks at an array of measures from citizens' toleration of government abuses of power to vigilante justice and the reporting of crime to police. Lastly, an empirical model is developed to predict citizens' attitudes, combining both these micro-level individual attributes with macro-level measures of institutional performance.
A unique look at the process of democratization from a comparative perspective, Citizens' Support for the Rule of Law in Central America it will appeal to faculty, researchers, and students interested in Latin American politics, comparative politics, and democratic transition."
The work opens with a brief review of the literature on the rule of law and legal socialization, followed by an historical overview of the democratization and justice reform in Central America from the 1990s to the present. Set as a comparative, micro-level study, the work then looks at an array of measures from citizens' toleration of government abuses of power to vigilante justice and the reporting of crime to police. Lastly, an empirical model is developed to predict citizens' attitudes, combining both these micro-level individual attributes with macro-level measures of institutional performance.
A unique look at the process of democratization from a comparative perspective, Citizens' Support for the Rule of Law in Central America it will appeal to faculty, researchers, and students interested in Latin American politics, comparative politics, and democratic transition."
Research Interests:
Written by Daniel Innerarity, University of the Basque Country, Spain and Javier Solana, president of ESADE Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics, Spain. Humanity at Risk compares diverse approaches to the theme of global threats... more
Written by Daniel Innerarity, University of the Basque Country, Spain and Javier Solana, president of ESADE Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics, Spain. Humanity at Risk compares diverse approaches to the theme of global threats using the tools of philosophy, critical theory, and political thought alongside more practical, socio-political observations. By defining the idea of "global risk" more specifically, Editors Innerarity and Solana, and their contributors, believe we can understand how these risks should be evaluated, predicted, and managed within the framework of democratic societies.The goal of this book is to highlight more precisely the necessity, in the face of new global risks, for new governance at a national, European, and global level.
Research Interests:
Written by Artemy Magun, European University at Saint-Petersburg, Russia. This thought-provoking work analyzes concrete political events and reinterprets key concepts in modern political science. Building on the works of Kant, Badiou,... more
Written by Artemy Magun, European University at Saint-Petersburg, Russia. This thought-provoking work analyzes concrete political events and reinterprets key concepts in modern political science. Building on the works of Kant, Badiou, Adorno, Hegel, and more, it posits that the dynamics of revolution can be encapsulated in the concept of negation, since a revolution essentially negates "what is" by rejecting the power in place.
The work argues that revolution is the true ground of Western democracy and that the proof of a true democracy is the activity of protest movements. It discusses how modern philosophy conceives political truth as revolutionary or eventful, and that one aspect of revolution is negativity, which fluctuates between inertia and melancholia. It examines the problem of revolution in the context of modern philosophy, providing a diagnosis of the historical developments since the fall of the Soviet Union to the Arab Spring, setting forth an original theory of revolution while shedding light on the notion of negativity in contemporary thought. This innovative work will appeal to anyone interested in political theory and political philosophy.
The work argues that revolution is the true ground of Western democracy and that the proof of a true democracy is the activity of protest movements. It discusses how modern philosophy conceives political truth as revolutionary or eventful, and that one aspect of revolution is negativity, which fluctuates between inertia and melancholia. It examines the problem of revolution in the context of modern philosophy, providing a diagnosis of the historical developments since the fall of the Soviet Union to the Arab Spring, setting forth an original theory of revolution while shedding light on the notion of negativity in contemporary thought. This innovative work will appeal to anyone interested in political theory and political philosophy.
Research Interests:
Written by Kempe Ronald Hope, Sr., Senior Economic Governance Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme, Nairobi, Kenya. Kenya is a country of geopolitical and economic importance in East Africa. It shares borders with unstable... more
Written by Kempe Ronald Hope, Sr., Senior Economic Governance Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme, Nairobi, Kenya. Kenya is a country of geopolitical and economic importance in East Africa. It shares borders with unstable states such as Somalia and Sudan while being a hub for trade, communication, finance, and transportation across the region. Although relatively stable since its independence in 1963, the country still faces poverty, inequality, and corruption. In addition, the contested election of 2007 led to severe ethnic strife that tested its political stability, leading to a new constitution in 2010.
This unique survey by a leading expert on the region provides a critical analysis of the socio-economic development in Kenya from a political economy perspective. It highlights Kenya's transition from being a centralized state to having a clear separation of powers and analyzes key issues such as economic growth, urbanization, corruption, and reform.
The book identifies Kenya's key socio-development problems and offers solutions to improve both governance and economic performance, making it an essential resource to researchers, academics, and policy makers working on development issues and African politics.
This unique survey by a leading expert on the region provides a critical analysis of the socio-economic development in Kenya from a political economy perspective. It highlights Kenya's transition from being a centralized state to having a clear separation of powers and analyzes key issues such as economic growth, urbanization, corruption, and reform.
The book identifies Kenya's key socio-development problems and offers solutions to improve both governance and economic performance, making it an essential resource to researchers, academics, and policy makers working on development issues and African politics.
Research Interests:
Written by Gilbert Ramsay, University of St. Andrews, UK. This volume examines "jihadi" content on the Internet by drawing on both Arabic and English primary source materials. After examining this content as digital media, the work looks... more
Written by Gilbert Ramsay, University of St. Andrews, UK. This volume examines "jihadi" content on the Internet by drawing on both Arabic and English primary source materials. After examining this content as digital media, the work looks at how it is productively consumed by online communities, including how "jihadi" individuals construct themselves online and how jihadism is practiced and represented as an online activity. The work also discusses the consumption of such jihadi media by those who are hostile to radical Islam and the relation between fantasy, pleasure, ideology, and ordinary life.
This unique survey features case studies, such as the cyberjihadi "Irhabi 007," pro-US and Israeli "patriots" who are often openly Islamophobic, and "Infovlad" --a forum that became the meeting place for radical Islamists and radical freelance "counter terrorists."
This innovative approach to studying violent content on the Internet is a significant contribution to the literature that will appeal to anyone interested in political violence, terrorism, and political communication.
This unique survey features case studies, such as the cyberjihadi "Irhabi 007," pro-US and Israeli "patriots" who are often openly Islamophobic, and "Infovlad" --a forum that became the meeting place for radical Islamists and radical freelance "counter terrorists."
This innovative approach to studying violent content on the Internet is a significant contribution to the literature that will appeal to anyone interested in political violence, terrorism, and political communication.
Research Interests:
Edited by Emma Leonard, Pennsylvania State University, USA and Gilbert Ramsay, University of St. Andrews, UK. This collection of essays demonstrates how chronic state failure and the inability of the international community to provide a... more
Edited by Emma Leonard, Pennsylvania State University, USA and Gilbert Ramsay, University of St. Andrews, UK. This collection of essays demonstrates how chronic state failure and the inability of the international community to provide a solution to the conflict in Somalia has had transnational repercussions.
Following the failed humanitarian mission in 1992-93, most countries refrained from any direct involvement in Somalia, but this changed in the 2000s with the growth of piracy and links to international terrorist organizations. The deterritorialization of the conflict quickly became apparent as it became transnational in nature. In part because of it lacked a government and was unable to work with the international community, Somalia came to be seen as a "testing-ground" by many international actors. Globalizing Somalia demonstrates how China, Japan, and the EU, among others, have all used the conflict in Somalia to project power, test the bounds of the national constitution, and test their own military capabilities.
Contributed by international scholars and experts, the work examines the impact of globalization on the internal and external dynamics of the conflict, arguing that it is no longer geographically contained. By bringing together the many actors and issues involved, the book fills a gap in the literature as one of the most complete works on the conflict in Somalia to date. It will be an essential text to any student interested in Somalia and the horn of Africa, as well as in terrorism, and conflict processes.
Following the failed humanitarian mission in 1992-93, most countries refrained from any direct involvement in Somalia, but this changed in the 2000s with the growth of piracy and links to international terrorist organizations. The deterritorialization of the conflict quickly became apparent as it became transnational in nature. In part because of it lacked a government and was unable to work with the international community, Somalia came to be seen as a "testing-ground" by many international actors. Globalizing Somalia demonstrates how China, Japan, and the EU, among others, have all used the conflict in Somalia to project power, test the bounds of the national constitution, and test their own military capabilities.
Contributed by international scholars and experts, the work examines the impact of globalization on the internal and external dynamics of the conflict, arguing that it is no longer geographically contained. By bringing together the many actors and issues involved, the book fills a gap in the literature as one of the most complete works on the conflict in Somalia to date. It will be an essential text to any student interested in Somalia and the horn of Africa, as well as in terrorism, and conflict processes.
Research Interests:
Edited by Michael R. Fitzgerald, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, USA and Allen Packwood Fellow of Churchill College and the Director of the Churchill Archives Center, UK. Featuring first hand accounts by international politicians and... more
Edited by Michael R. Fitzgerald, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, USA and Allen Packwood Fellow of Churchill College and the Director of the Churchill Archives Center, UK. Featuring first hand accounts by international politicians and diplomats along with analyses by leading scholars, this unique collection of essays provides insights from multiple perspectives to foster better understanding of international relations during and after the Cold War.
Experts from both sides of the "iron curtain" shed light on the origins, struggles, ending, and legacy of the conflict that dominated the second half of the twentieth century and that still affects current East-West relations, the securing and dismantling of weapons of mass destruction, and the instability of many regions. With a particular focus on diplomatic relations, the book looks at the origins of the conflict from Yalta to Korea, the prelude to Détente from Cuba to Vietnam, followed by the move from Détente to dialogue. It then addresses such issues as strategic weapons, the impact of the war on scientific research, intelligence, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Lastly, it examines the legacy of the Cold War across regions of the world, including Europe, Japan, India, China, and the lessons to be drawn for today's diplomatic relations and intelligence.
With contributions from Howard Baker, Jr., Sir Anthony Brenton, Susan Eisenhower, Grigoryi Karasin, Alexander Likhotal, Kishan Rana, Ying Rong, and more, the volume presents a truly international treatment of a subject of global dimensions and importance. Students of politics and international relations will find it invaluable as will Foreign Service practitioners, and instructors teaching the Cold War and foreign affairs.
Experts from both sides of the "iron curtain" shed light on the origins, struggles, ending, and legacy of the conflict that dominated the second half of the twentieth century and that still affects current East-West relations, the securing and dismantling of weapons of mass destruction, and the instability of many regions. With a particular focus on diplomatic relations, the book looks at the origins of the conflict from Yalta to Korea, the prelude to Détente from Cuba to Vietnam, followed by the move from Détente to dialogue. It then addresses such issues as strategic weapons, the impact of the war on scientific research, intelligence, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Lastly, it examines the legacy of the Cold War across regions of the world, including Europe, Japan, India, China, and the lessons to be drawn for today's diplomatic relations and intelligence.
With contributions from Howard Baker, Jr., Sir Anthony Brenton, Susan Eisenhower, Grigoryi Karasin, Alexander Likhotal, Kishan Rana, Ying Rong, and more, the volume presents a truly international treatment of a subject of global dimensions and importance. Students of politics and international relations will find it invaluable as will Foreign Service practitioners, and instructors teaching the Cold War and foreign affairs.
Research Interests:
Join Matthew and 14,432,386 other researchers on Academia.edu
Edit