The State of Nature in Comparative Political Thought: Western and Non-Western Perspectives (Global Encounters: Studies in Comparative Political Theory) - Tapa dura

In this collection there are some fine individual essays which have important lessons for comparative political thought . . . so too does the volume as a whole. * History of Political Thought * This book draws together an admirably extensive range of contributors to broaden and complicate the 'state of nature,' a concept which plays a pivotal role in Euro-American political theory. Chapters attempt to move beyond simplistic East versus West comparisons, to consider deeper questions in culturally diverse settings about the relationship of politics to conceptions of nature, society, and religion. The arguments in this book are sure to be controversial, but they draw much-needed attention to important political ideas from a diverse set of places and times. -- Leigh Jenco, London School of Economics and Political Science This excellent, timely, and erudite collection of essays successfully demonstrates the significance and necessity of adopting a comparative perspective in western political theory. Thematic focus of the volume, on notions of the natural condition of mankind across cultures and civilizations, presents compelling reasons for political theorists and social scientists alike to revisit, re-contextualize, and renew existing understandings of the political. -- Hassan Bashir, Texas A&M University at Qatar

The State of Nature in Comparative Political Thought addresses non-Western conceptions of the "state of nature", revealing how basic questions related to political thought are reflected in Chinese, Islamic, Indic, and other cultural contexts. It contributes to the burgeoning field of comparative political theory, and should be of interest to political theorists, regional specialists, students of globalization, as well as anyone interested in non-Western approaches to basic political questions.