In the development of both political philosophy and engagement in political activity, the Good holds a central role. Properly understood, politics is directed by the human need to discern and follow what is good in-itself, which is not necessarily defined by the predominant interest within any given community or culture. Essential good, or that which is good by nature, does not always align with our perceptions of the common good or with our immediate interests. Scott John Hammond sorts out the difference between essential Good and what we take to be good under the influence of the will as it pursues various interests and preferences. The Centrality of the Good: Reflections on Politics and Being follows Plato's understanding of the Good as the "object and cause of all knowledge" and the essence of all political activity. Much of the book is devoted to an examination of the relationship between the good and the right. In response to Rawls, it advances an understanding of the priority of the Good, and thus a notion that the existence of objective right is an extension of the essential good. It also reconsiders the relationship between politics and power, in the end rejecting power as the defining element of political activity. What makes political activity real is not the ability to command or apply force, but rather to discern the essential good and to work as a community of free citizens toward making Good in itself compatible, as a practical concern, with general perceptions of a common good. The Centrality of the Good thus suggests a different language of politics that considers the Good as the primus mobiles of all political and social life. Ultimately, a politics of care and commitment to the good of others is the essence of real political association; the closer politics comes to cultivating disinterest in the pursuit of narrow self-interest while encouraging commitment in the interests of others, the more it embraces what is truly essential to politics.

This inquiry attempts to probe the essence of politics in-itself, something that has been singularly discerned by Plato in Republic, grounded in his theory of universal forms and gradually but fully developed through a consideration of the elements of the City in Speech. Those elements, and the ideal city itself as envisioned in Republic, are immanent within the Second Best City of the Laws, even though presented in a modified way. Plato's Statesman will also be discussed as a means to further illustrate Plato's commitment to the principles conveyed in Republic. This project rests on the premise that Plato's intelligible city is genuinely intended to convey Plato's full understanding of the real essence of the polis, not simply the arena of political behavior and governance as we have come to know it, but the essence of what politics universally means and what a political community should objectively seek.

This inquiry attempts to probe the essence of politics in-itself, something that has been singularly discerned by Plato in Republic, grounded in his theory of universal forms and gradually but fully developed through a consideration of the elements of the City in Speech. Those elements, and the ideal city itself as envisioned in Republic, are immanent within the Second Best City of the Laws, even though presented in a modified way. Plato's Statesman will also be discussed as a means to further illustrate Plato's commitment to the principles conveyed in Republic. This project rests on the premise that Plato's intelligible city is genuinely intended to convey Plato's full understanding of the real essence of the polis, not simply the arena of political behavior and governance as we have come to know it, but the essence of what politics universally means and what a political community should objectively seek.

What does it take to get elected president of the United States—"leader of the free world"? This book gives readers insight into the major issues and events surrounding American presidential elections across more than two centuries, from the earliest years of the Republic through the campaigns of the 21st century. The race for the presidency encapsulates the broader changes in American democratic culture. This book provides insight into the major issues and events surrounding American presidential elections across more than two centuries, from the earliest years of the Republic through the campaigns of the 21st century. Readers will be able to see and understand how presidential campaigns have evolved over time, and how and why the current state of campaigning for president came into being.

What does it take to get elected president of the United States—"leader of the free world"? This book gives readers insight into the major issues and events surrounding American presidential elections across more than two centuries, from the earliest years of the Republic through the campaigns of the 21st century. The race for the presidency encapsulates the broader changes in American democratic culture. This book provides insight into the major issues and events surrounding American presidential elections across more than two centuries, from the earliest years of the Republic through the campaigns of the 21st century. Readers will be able to see and understand how presidential campaigns have evolved over time, and how and why the current state of campaigning for president came into being.

Liberty. Justice. Nature. Law. First formulated millennia ago by the founding philosophers of the Western tradition, these basic concepts of human thought remain central to our conception of ourselves, our place in the world, and our relationships with others-that is, our politics. Readers encountering such broad political concepts, their practical expressions in political movements and systems of government, the ideas of influential ancient and modern political thinkers--or simply familiar or unfamiliar catchphrases for which they would like a succinct yet informative explanation--will welcome this accessible encyclopedic guide. The major political concepts, themes, issues, movements, groups, and schools that have developed over time and shaped our modern world appear here in all their diversity, along with biographical entries and articles on the principal works of political theorists from Plato to John Rawls. Further, serious students and browsers alike will delight in the numerous entries on familiar quotations and political catchphrases, from the "banality of evil" and "Big Brother" to the "war of all against all." Sidebars discussing the work of major political thinkers in the context of particular entries Bibliography of recent and recommended print and electronic resources Table of seminal thinkers and major political leaders whose thought transcended their historical moment