Political theory is usually at its most vital and interesting in periods of political crisis and uncertainty. This is as true today as it was for Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Marx.

The aim of this much needed textbook is to provide students with both a review and an analysis of the wealth of literature in the area and to provide a genuinely introductory account of modern political thought. An important feature of the book is its use of practical examples to stimulate students’ thinking on questions of political value and political principle. Raymond Plant writes throughout with vigour and clarity.

This book will be essential reading for students of politics, government and political philosophy.

• Shaking the Foundations of Political Theory

• Human Nature and Political Theory

• Liberalism, Rights and Justice

• Utilitarianism

• The Claims of Need and Politics

• Liberty, Interests and Morality

• Rights and the State

• Justice, Punishment and the State

• Political Philosophy on Dover Beach: Reasoning, Context and Community

Raymond Plant has been Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Philosophy at King’s College London since 2002 and he has been a Member of the House of Lords since 1992. Prior to his position at the Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London, Lord Plant was Master of St. Catherine’s College Oxford from 1994 to 2000, and Professor of European Political Thought at the University of Southampton prior to that.

His academic interests focus on political, social and legal philosophy. He is probably best known for his work on conceptual issues to do with welfare, particularly ideas such as needs, rights, obligations and community, as well as his work on Hegel as a political, social and legal philosopher. He has published and lectured widely on the role of religion in the context of a modern state, society and economy. Recent positions and lectures delivered in this area include: Stanton Lecturer in the Philosophy of Religion at the University of Cambridge, the Sarum Lectures and the Bampton Lectures in Theology at the University of Oxford, the Fergusson Lectures in Theology at the University of Manchester and the Scott Holland Lectures at Manchester Cathedral.