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The State

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The State by Philip Pettit explores the central role of the state in political theory and its vital function in fostering peace, justice, and cooperation worldwide. Pettit offers a historically informed and realistic account of the state’s purpose, addressing whether states can resist challenges like corporate capture, religious zealotry, and nationalist mania. He argues that only states approximating a functional ideal of statehood can effectively tackle issues such as extreme poverty, climate change, and global conflict, making it crucial for the future prosperity of humanity.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in political philosophy, legal theory, and social sciences, especially those who seek a deep understanding of the state's role and potential in addressing contemporary global challenges.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Why the state is the elephant in the room of political theory, too long ignored, and how to put this right.

The future of our species depends on the state. Can states resist corporate capture, religious zealotry, and nationalist mania? Can they find a way to work together so that the earth heals and its peoples prosper? Or is the state just not up to the task?

In this book, the prominent political philosopher Philip Pettit examines the nature of the state and its capacity to serve goals like peace and justice within and beyond its borders. In doing so, he breaks new ground by making the state the focus of political theory—with implications for economic, legal, and social theory—and presents a persuasive, historically informed image of an institution that lies at the centre of our lives.

Offering an account that is more realist than utopian, Pettit starts from the function the polity is meant to serve, looks at how it can best discharge that function, and explores its ability to engage beneficially in the life of its citizens. This enables him to identify an ideal of statehood that is a precondition of justice. Only if states approximate this functional ideal will they be able to deal with the perennial problems of extreme poverty and bitter discord, as well as the challenges that loom over the coming centuries, including climate change, population growth, and nuclear arms.

The State by Philip Pettit offers a thorough examination of statehood at a time when understanding its possibilities is more crucial than ever.

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Critics praise The State for its ambition and thoughtful execution, comparing it to canonical works like Hobbes's Leviathan and Rousseau's Du contrat social. It is described as important, timely, original, and thematically rich, with profound insights and powerful arguments that make it indispensable for scholars of politics and law.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691182209

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 14 March 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 1 table.

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 376

About the Author

Philip Pettit is L. S. Rockefeller University Professor of Human Values at Princeton University and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University, Canberra. He is the author of Republicanism, On the People's Terms, Just Freedom, and other books.

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    A major new account of the state and its importance by a leading political philosopher. The future of our species depends on the state. Can states resist corporate capture, religious zealotry, and nationalist mania? Can they find a way to work together so that the earth heals and its peoples prosper? Or is the state just not up to the...
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