A Preface to American Political Theory Contributor(s): Lutz, Donald S. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0700605460 ISBN-13: 9780700605460 Publisher: University Press of Kansas OUR PRICE: $24.70 Product Type: Paperback Published: September 1992 Annotation: Designed for students and scholars in all disciplines, including political science, history, and legal studies, this book provides an effective, sophisticated entree into the study of American political theory. "A grand argument in favor of giving American political thought its due and a tour de force of reasoned argument and analysis that blends history, law, political science, and philosophy."--Kermit L. Hall, author of The Magic Mirror: Law in American History |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Political Science | Political Ideologies - Democracy - Political Science | History & Theory - General - Political Science | Constitutions |
Dewey: 320.509 |
LCCN: 92-11700 |
Series: American Political Thought (University Press of Kansas) |
Physical Information: 0.53" H x 6.06" W x 8.98" (0.68 lbs) 200 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Donald Lutz begins A Preface to American Political Theory by explaining what the book doesn't do. It doesn't begin with a panegyric to the American founding. It doesn't answer the following questions: What are the basic principles in the U.S. Constitution? What were the intentions of the founders with respect to (fill in your own topic)? What is the meaning of pluralism, or separation of powers, or democracy, or (fill in your own concept)? In short, it doesn't provide an overview of the content, development, or major conclusions of American political theory. What it does do is provide a pre-theoretical analysis of how to go about studying questions like the ones above-how to conceptualize the project, how to proceed in looking for answers, how to avoid the logical traps peculiar to the study of American political theory. Lutz sets out to emancipate American political theorists from empiricism and inappropriate European theories and methodologies. The end result is to establish the foundation for the systematic study of American behavior, institutions, and ideas; to provide a general introduction to the study of American political theory; and to illustrate how textual analysis, history, empirical research, and analytic philosophy are all part of the enterprise. Designed for students and scholars in all disciplines, including political science, history, and legal studies, A Preface to American Political Theory doesn't provide answers to central continuing issues in American political theory. Rather, it provides an effective, sophisticated entree into the study of American political theory. Readers will be armed with the intellectual tools to engage in systematic study and makes them aware of the pitfalls they will inevitably encounter. |