With an Introduction by Dr Richard Serjeantson, Trinity College, Cambridge Since its first publication in 1651, Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan has been recognised as one of the most compelling, and most controversial, works of political philosophy written in English. Forged in the crucible of the civil and religious warfare of the mid-seventeenth century, it proposes a political theory that combines an unequivocal commitment to natural human liberty with the conviction that the sovereign power of government must be exercised absolutely. Leviathan begins from some shockingly naturalistic starting-points: an analysis of human nature as being motivated by vain-glory and pride, and a vision of religion as simply the fear of invisible powers made up by the mind. Yet from these deliberately unpromising elements, Hobbes constructs with unparalleled forcefulness an elaborate, systematic, and comprehensive account of how political society ought to be: ordered, law-bound, peaceful. In Leviathan, Hobbes presents us with a portrait of politics which depicts how a state that is made up of the unified body of all its citizens will be powerful, fruitful, protective of each of its members, and - above all - free from internal violence.

With Africa as its point of reference and departure, this volume examines why and how the two concepts - radicalisms and conservatisms - should not be taken as mere binaries around which to organize knowledge. It demonstrates that these concepts have multiple and diverse meanings as perceived and understood from different disciplinary vantage points, hence, the deliberate pluralization of the terms. The essays show what happens when one juxtaposes the two concepts and how they are easily intertwined when different peoples' lived experiences of poverty, political and social alienation, education, intolerance, youth activism, social (in)justice, violence, etc. across the length and breadth of Africa are brought to bear on our understandings of these two particularisms. Contributors are: Adekunle Victor Owoyomi, Adeshina Francis Akindutire, Adewale O. Owoseni, Bright Nkrumah, Clement Chipenda, Ebenezer Babajide Ishola, Edwin Etieyibo, Israel Oberedjemurho Ugoma, Jonah Uyieh, Jonathan O. Chimakonam, Madina Tlostanova, Maduka Enyimba, Muchaparara Musemwa, Odirin Omiegbe, Obvious Katsaura, Olufunke Olufunsho Adegoke, Peter Kwaja, Philip Akporduado Edema, Tafadzwa Chevo, and Temitope Owolabi.

Toleration is one of the most studied concepts in contemporary political theory and philosophy, yet the range of contemporary normative prescriptions concerning how to do toleration or how to be tolerant is remarkably narrow and limited. The literature is largely dominated by a neo-Kantian moral-juridical frame, in which toleration is a matter to be decided in terms of constitutional rights. According to this framework, cooperation equates to public reasonableness and willingness to engage in certain types of civil moral dialogue. Crucially, this vision of politics makes no claims about how to cultivate and secure the conditions required to make cooperation possible in the first place. It also has little to say about how to motivate one to become a tolerant person. Instead it offers highly abstract ideas that do not by themselves suggest what political activity is required to negotiate overlapping values and interests in which cooperation is not already assured. Contemporary thinking about toleration indicates, paradoxically, an intolerance of politics. Montaigne and the Tolerance of Politics argues for toleration as a practice of negotiation, looking to a philosopher not usually considered political: Michel de Montaigne. For Montaigne, toleration is an expansive, active practice of political endurance in negotiating public goods across lines of value difference. In other words, to be tolerant means to possess a particular set of political capacities for negotiation. What matters most is not how we talk to our political opponents, but that we talk to each other across lines of disagreement. Douglas I. Thompson draws on Montaigne's Essais to recover the idea that political negotiation grows out of genuine care for public goods and the establishment of political trust. He argues that we need a Montaignian conception of toleration today if we are to negotiate effectively the circumstances of increasing political polarization and ongoing value conflict, and he applies this notion to current debates in political theory as well as contemporary issues, including the problem of migration and refugee asylum. Additionally, for Montaigne scholars, he reads the Essais principally as a work of public political education, and resituates the work as an extension of Montaigne's political activity as a high-level negotiator between Catholic and Huguenot parties during the French Wars of Religion. Ultimately, this book argues that Montaigne's view of tolerance is worth recovering and reconsidering in contemporary democratic societies where political leaders and ordinary citizens are becoming less able to talk to each other to resolve political conflicts and work for shared public goods.

In this complete guide to modern China, Michael Dillon takes students through its social, political and economic changes, from the Qing Empire, through the civil war and the Communist state, to its incarnation as a hybrid capitalist superpower. Key features of the new edition include: - A brand new chapter on the Xi Jinping premiership - Coverage of the recent developments in Hong Kong - Unique analysis of Tibet and Xinjiang - Teaching aides including biographies of leading figures, timelines and a glossary Clearly and compelling written, this textbook is essential for any student of the history or politics of modern China.

The Oxford Handbook of the History of Terrorism presents a revaluation of the major narratives in the history of terrorism, exploring the emergence and the use of terrorism in world history from antiquity up to the twenty-first century. The essays collected in this handbook constitute the first systematic analysis of the relationship between terrorism and modernity on a global scale from the French Revolution to the present. Historians and political theorists have long asserted such a link, but this causal connection has rarely been rigorously investigated, and the failure to examine such a crucial aspect of terrorism has contributed to the spread of unsubstantiated claims about its nature and origins. Terrorism is often presented as a perennial barbarism forever lurking outside of civilization when, in fact, it is a historically specific form of political violence generated by modern Western culture that was then transported around the globe, where it was transformed in accordance with local conditions. This handbook offers cogent arguments and well-documented case studies that support a reading of terrorism as an explicitly modern phenomenon. It also provides sustained analyses of the challenges involved in the application of the theories and practices of modernity and terrorism to non-Western parts of the world. The volume presents an overview of terrorism's antecedents in the pre-modern world, analyzes the emergence of terrorism in the West, and presents a series of case studies from non-Western parts of the world that together constitute terrorism's global reception history. Essays cover a broad range of topics from tyrannicide in ancient Greek political culture, the radical resistance movement against Roman rule in Judea, the invention of terrorism in Europe, Russia, and the United States, anarchist networks in France, Argentina, and China, imperial terror in Colonial Kenya, anti-colonial violence in India, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, and the German Autumn, to right-wing, eco-and religious terrorism, as well as terrorism's entanglements with science, technology, media, literature and art. The Oxford Handbook of the History of Terrorism ultimately provides an account of the global history of terrorism and coverage of the most important cases from this history, always presented with an eye towards their entanglement with the forces and technologies of modernity.

This book provides an overview of the inception, development and achievements of British socialist and workers theatre – a feat which has not been attempted before. It explores the connections between politics and culture (specifically theatre) and between political theory and cultural (theatrical) expression. The book is organized chronologically and uncovers much in labour and theatre history which is in danger of being lost. It can also be seen as a way into different moments in its subject’s story (e.g. post-Ibsen naturalism; agitprop theatre; ‘fringe’ theatre of the 1970s) and the relationship of such forms to specific political events and ideas at specific points in history.

The emergence of cloud computing, internet of things, mobile technologies, and social networking have created better-connected members of the public who are digitally linked with each other in real time. Establishing this two-way interaction between citizens and governments has thus become attractive and an expected feature of governments worldwide. Previously, federal and local governments relied on first-generation technologies to provide basic levels of automation and digitization. Now, because of their desire to become more open, transparent, accountable, and connected, newer technologies including cloud computing, mobile networking, big data analytics, Web 2.0, and social media must be developed and utilized. Web 2.0 and Cloud Technologies for Implementing Connected Government is an essential reference source that presents various dimensions of connected government and connected e-governance visions as well as the latest emerging technologies. Offering development methodologies, practical examples, best practices, case studies, and the latest research, this book covers new strategies for implementing better-connected government models and the technologies that serve to establish these frameworks, including in-depth examinations of mobile technologies, automation, business intelligence, etc. as well as the various ethical and security issues surrounding the use and protection of data. This book is essential for federal, state, and local government officials; policymakers; civil servants; IT specialists; security analysts; academicians; researchers; and students.

Civics and citizenship focus on providing students with the disposition and tools to effectively engage with their government. Critical literacy is necessary for responsible citizenship in a world where the quantity of information overwhelms quality information and misinformation is prevalent. Critical Literacy Initiatives for Civic Engagement is an essential reference source that discusses the intersection of critical literacy and citizenship and provides practical ways for educators to encourage responsible citizenship in their classrooms. Featuring research on topics such as language learning, school governance, and digital platforms, this book is ideally designed for professionals, teachers, administrators, academicians, and researchers.

Culture and religion are overlapping phenomena: cultures are normally understood to subsume religions, and religions are very often central to cultures. The two are particularly closely associated when we focus on the kinds of difference that generate issues for public policy. The world has always been culturally and religiously diverse, but recent movements of population have intensified the internal diversity of societies. That increased diversity has presented societies with a number of pressing questions. How much should cultural differences matter? Can they and should they be treated impartially? Should they receive equal recognition and what sort of recognition might that be? Are cultural and religious differences at odds with human rights thinking or do universal human rights demand respect for those differences? When the demands of a religious faith clash with those of a society's rules, which should take precedence? Should the religious have to endure whatever burdens their beliefs bring their way, or should they be accommodated so that their religious faith does not become a source of social disadvantage? Should they have to put up with unwelcome treatments of their beliefs or should they be protected from the offensive and the disrespectful? These are some of the many issues examined in Culture, Religion and Rights.

'A powerful, salient and gracefully written study of the corrosive dynamics of race in Britain from a trusted voice on the subject. We can all benefit from reading it' Diana Evans In this transformative book, Nicola Rollock, one of our pre-eminent experts on racial justice, offers a vital exploration of the lived experience of racism Miles, a successful lawyer, is mistaken for the waiter at a networking event. Femi is on the verge of breakdown having been consistently overlooked for promotion at her university. Nigel's emails, repeatedly expressing concern about his employer's forthcoming slavery exhibition, are ignored. Carol knows she can't let herself relax at the work Christmas party... This is racism. It is not about the overt acts of random people at the fringes of society. It's about the everyday. It's the loaded silence, the throwaway remark, the casual comment or a 'joke' in the workplace. It's everything. The Racial Code is an unprecedented examination of the hidden rules of race and racism that govern our lives and how they maintain the status quo. Interweaving narrative with research and theory, acclaimed expert Nicola Rollock uniquely lays bare the pain and cost of navigating everyday racism -- and compels us to reconsider how to truly achieve racial justice.