One of the most significant political philosophers of the twentieth century, Carl Schmitt is a deeply controversial figure who has been labeled both Nazi sympathizer and modern-day Thomas Hobbes. First published in 1938, The Leviathan in the State Theory of Thomas Hobbes used the Enlightenment philosopher’s enduring symbol of the protective Leviathan to address the nature of modern statehood. A work that predicted the demise of the Third Reich and that still holds relevance in today’s security-obsessed society, this volume will (...) be essential reading for students and scholars of political science. “Carl Schmitt is surely the most controversial German political and legal philosopher of this century. . . . We deal with Schmitt, against all odds, because history stubbornly persists in proving many of his tenets right.”— Perspectives on Political Science “[A] significant contribution. . . . The relation between Hobbes and Schmitt is one of the most important questions surrounding Schmitt: it includes a distinct, though occasionally vacillating, personal identification as well as an association of ideas.”— Telos. (shrink)

Designed to give all students of political ideas a fuller appreciation of the great works which form the foundation of the subject, The Political Classics provides a lively and informed introduction to the last four hundred years of political thinking, covering twelve major figures and theirmost important texts; from T.H. Green to Ronald Dworkin. Besides giving a full analysis of the contents of each text, The Political Classics also highlights what makes the works of central importance to an understanding of (...) political philosophy. The twelve chapters concentrate on the ideas contained in the texts, rather than on the lives of their writers,and each chapter is supplemented with useful suggestions for further reading. The clear analysis and explanation contained in each essay allow the reader to study the original texts with new understanding and insight. (shrink)