{"title":"Steven B. Smith","description":"\u003cp\u003eSteven B. Smith’s works delve into the intricate intersections of \u003cstrong\u003epolitics\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ephilosophy\u003c\/strong\u003e, offering thoughtful reflections on statesmanship, political theory, and the enduring challenges of contemporary governance. His writing invites readers to engage deeply with ideas about patriotism, political order, and the insights of classic thinkers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExploring complex themes with clarity and intellectual rigour, Smith’s books provide a nuanced perspective on current affairs while drawing from the rich traditions of political philosophy. His studies offer valuable context for anyone seeking to understand the philosophical foundations behind modern political controversies and debates.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"reading-leo-strauss-by-steven-b-smith-9780226763897","title":"Reading Leo Strauss","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterest in Leo Strauss is greater now than at any time since his death, mostly because of the purported link between his thought and the political movement known as neoconservatism. Steven B. Smith, however, surprisingly depicts Strauss not as the high priest of neoconservatism but as a friend of liberal democracy—perhaps the best defender democracy has ever had. Moreover, in \u003cem\u003eReading Leo Strauss\u003c\/em\u003e, Smith shows that Strauss’s defence of liberal democracy was closely connected to his scepticism of both the extreme Left and extreme Right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSmith asserts that this philosophical scepticism defined Strauss’s thought. It was as a sceptic, Smith argues, that Strauss considered the seemingly irreconcilable conflict between reason and revelation—a conflict Strauss dubbed the “theologico-political problem.” Calling this problem “\u003cem\u003ethe\u003c\/em\u003e theme of my investigations,” Strauss asked the same fundamental question throughout his life: what is the relation of the political order to revelation in general and Judaism in particular? Smith organises his book with this question, first addressing Strauss’s views on religion and then examining his thought on philosophical and political issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn his investigation of these philosophical and political issues, Smith assesses Strauss’s attempt to direct the teaching of political science away from the examination of mass behaviour and interest group politics and toward the study of the philosophical principles on which politics are based. With his provocative, lucid essays, Smith goes a long way toward establishing a distinctive form of Straussian liberalism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000722309356,"sku":"9780226763897","price":47.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/19867253482268.jpg?v=1763300443"},{"product_id":"reclaiming-patriotism-in-an-age-of-extremes-by-steven-b-smith-9780300268157","title":"Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA rediscovery of patriotism as a virtue in line with the core values of democracy in an extremist age\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Like you perhaps, I still regard myself as an extremely patriotic person. Which is why I so admired [this book]. . . .\u003c\/em\u003e It explained my emotion to me, as it might yours to you.\"\u003cbr\u003e—David Brooks, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Smith superbly illuminates the distinctiveness of the American idea of patriotism and reminds us of how important patriotism is, and how essential to making America better.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—Leslie Lenkowsky, \u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe concept of patriotism has fallen on hard times. What was once a value that united Americans has become so politicised by both the left and the right that it threatens to rip apart the social fabric. On the right, patriotism has become synonymous with nationalism and an “us versus them” worldview, while on the left it is seen as an impediment to acknowledging important ethnic, religious, or racial identities and a threat to cosmopolitan globalism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSteven B. Smith reclaims patriotism from these extremist positions and advocates for a patriotism that is broad enough to balance loyalty to country with other loyalties. Describing how it is a matter of both the head and the heart, Smith shows how patriotism can bring the country together around the highest ideals of equality and is a central and ennobling disposition that democratic societies cannot afford to do without.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47427475144940,"sku":"9780300268157","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780300268157.jpg?v=1774767515"},{"product_id":"on-statesmanship-by-steven-b-smith-9780300281743","title":"On Statesmanship","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat true statecraft consists of, and how to know a statesman when we see one\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the modern world, we yearn for great leaders but resist them when they come along. In this much-needed essay, Steven B. Smith tells us that a statesman is something far different from a demagogue or a technocrat. He or she incorporates many qualities of leadership—persuasiveness, courage, foresight, judgement—to take people where they need to go while hardly seeming to lead them at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA true statesman is focused not on amassing power but on finding the best way to use power towards responsible ends. Above all else, Smith argues, the statesman is an educator who, through language and argument, helps shape a people's civic understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOn Statesmanship\u003c\/em\u003e is a timely reminder of a set of qualities we desperately need in our political leaders but have forgotten how to talk about.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67807647891692,"sku":"9780300281743","price":77.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780300281743-on-statesmanship-1.jpg?v=1792525872"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/steven-b-smith.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}