The History Book Club discussion

This is the thread for the table of contents and syllabus for the book On Politics: A History of Political Thought From Herodotus to the Present by Alan Ryan.


by Alan Ryan (no photo)

This is the Table of Contents:

Table of Contents

Introduction: Thinking About Politics page xi

BOOK ONE: Herodotus to Machiavelli

Part I: The Classical Conception

Chapter 1: Why Herodotus - page 5
Chapter 2: Plato and Antipolitics - page 31
Chapter 3: Aristotle: Politics is Not Philosophy - page 71
Chapter 4: Roman Insights: Polybius and Cicero - page 111
Chapter 5: Augustine’s Two Cities - page 149

Part II: The Christian World

Preface to Part II - page 187
Chapter 6: Between Augustine and Aquinas - page 193
Chapter 7: Aquinas and Synthesis - page 224
Chapter 8: The Fourteenth-Century Interregnum - page 257
Chapter 9: Humanism - page 291
Chapter 10: The Reformation - page 321
Chapter 11: Machiavelli - page 354

Notes to Book One - page 391

BOOK TWO: Hobbes to the Present

Preface to Book Two - page 403

Part I: Modernity

Chapter 12: Thomas Hobbes - page 411
Chapter 13: John Locke and Revolution - page 453
Chapter 14: Republicanism - page 497
Chapter 15: Rousseau - page 532
Chapter 16: The American Founding - page 577
Chapter 17: The French Revolution and Its Critics - page 616
Chapter 18: Hegel: The Modern State as the Work of Spirit - page 652
Chapter 19: Utilitarianism: Jeremy Bentham and James and John Stuart Mill - page 695
Chapter 20: Tocqueville and Democracy - page 729
Chapter 21: Karl Marx - page 770

Part II: The World after Marx

Preface to Part II - page 809
Chapter 22: The Twentieth Century and Beyond - page 815
Chapter 23: Empire and Imperialism - page 843
Chapter 24: Socialisms - page 879
Chapter 25: Marxism,Fascism, Dictatorship - page 911
Chapter 26: Democracy in the Modern World - page 946
Chapter 27: Global Peace and the Human Future - page 978

Acknowledgments - page 1013
Notes to Book Two - page 1015
Bibliography - page 1029
Further Reading - page 1041
Index - page 1053

There is a huge amount of people, events, philosophical political thinking to discuss and digest and we want to go through these chapters methodically and also have the ability to read other background materials if we would like for the discussion. This schedule gives us those options.

Syllabus:

WEEK ONE, TWO. THREE: - March 16th, 2015 - March 29th, 2015
(Thread set up)
Introduction: Thinking About Politics page xi
BOOK ONE: Herodotus to Machiavelli
Part I: The Classical Conception
Chapter 1: Why Herodotus - page 5

WEEK FOUR AND WEEK FIVE: - March 30th, 2015 - April 12th, 2015
(Thread set up)
Chapter 2: Plato and Antipolitics - page 31

WEEK SIX AND WEEK SEVEN: September 7, 2015 - September 20, 2015
(Thread set up)
Chapter 3: Aristotle: Politics is Not Philosophy - page 71

WEEK EIGHT AND WEEK NINE: - September 21, 2015 - October 4, 2015
Thread set up
Chapter 4: Roman Insights: Polybius and Cicero - page 111

WEEK TEN AND WEEK ELEVEN: - October 5, 2015 - October 18, 2015
Chapter 5: Augustine’s Two Cities - page 149
Part II: The Christian World

WEEK TWELVE AND WEEK THIRTEEN: - October 19, 2015 - November 1, 2015
Preface to Part II - page 187

WEEK FOURTEEN AND WEEK FIFTEEN: - November 2, 2015 - November 15, 2015
Chapter 6: Between Augustine and Aquinas - page 193

WEEK SIXTEEN AND WEEK SEVENTEEN:- November 16, 2015 - November 29, 2015
Chapter 7: Aquinas and Synthesis - page 224

WEEK EIGHTEEN AND WEEK NINETEEN: July 13th, 2015 - July 26th, 2015
Chapter 8: The Fourteenth-Century Interregnum - page 257

WEEK TWENTY AND WEEK TWENTY-ONE: - July 27th, 2015 - August 9th, 2015
Chapter 9: Humanism - page 291

WEEK TWENTY-TWO AND WEEK TWENTY-THREE: - August 9th, 2015 - August 23rd, 2015
Chapter 10: The Reformation - page 321

WEEK TWENTY-FOUR AND WEEK TWENTY-FIVE: - August 24th, 2015 - September 6th, 2015
Chapter 11: Machiavelli - page 354
Notes to Book One - page 391
BOOK TWO: Hobbes to the Present

WEEK TWENTY-SIX AND WEEK TWENTY-SEVEN: - September 7th, 2015 - September 20th, 2015
Preface to Book Two - page 403
Part I: Modernity
Chapter 12: Thomas Hobbes - page 411

WEEK TWENTY-EIGHT AND WEEK TWENTY-NINE:- September 21, 2015 - October 4th, 2015
Chapter 13: John Locke and Revolution - page 453

WEEK THIRTY AND THIRTY-ONE: - October 5th, 2015 - October 18th, 2015
Chapter 14: Republicanism - page 497

WEEK THIRTY-TWO AND WEEK THIRTY-THREE: - October 19th, 2015 - November 1st, 2015
Chapter 15: Rousseau - page 532

WEEK THIRTY-FOUR AND WEEK THIRTY-FIVE: - November 2nd, 2015 - November 15th, 2015
Chapter 16: The American Founding - page 577

WEEK THIRTY-SIX AND WEEK THIRTY-SEVEN: - November 16th 2015 - November 29th, 2015
Chapter 17: The French Revolution and Its Critics - page 616

WEEK THIRTY-EIGHT AND WEEK THIRTY-NINE - November 30, 2015 - December 13th, 2015
Chapter 18: Hegel: The Modern State as the Work of Spirit - page 652

WEEK FORTY AND WEEK FORTY-ONE: - December 14th, 2015 - December 27th, 2015
Chapter 19: Utilitarianism: Jeremy Bentham and James and John Stuart Mill - page 695

WEEK FORTY-TWO AND WEEK FORTY-THREE: - December 28, 2015 - January 17th, 2016
Chapter 20: Tocqueville and Democracy - page 729

WEEK FORTY-FOUR AND WEEK FORTY-FIVE: - January 18, 2016 - January 31st, 2016
Chapter 21: Karl Marx - page 770
Part II: The World after Marx

WEEK FORTY-SIX AND FORTY-SEVEN: - February 1st, 2016 - February 14, 2016
Preface to Part II - page 809
Chapter 22: The Twentieth Century and Beyond - page 815

WEEK FORTY-EIGHT AND WEEK FORTY-NINE: - February 15th, 2016 - February 28th, 2016
Chapter 23: Empire and Imperialism - page 843

WEEK FIFTY AND WEEK FIFTY-ONE: February 29th, 2016 - March 13th, 2016
Chapter 24: Socialisms - page 879

WEEK FIFTY-TWO AND WEEK FIFTY-THREE: - March 14th, 2016 - March 27th, 2016
Chapter 25: Marxism,Fascism, Dictatorship - page 911

WEEK FIFTY-FOUR AND WEEK FIFTY-FIVE: - March 28th, 2016 - April 10th, 2016
Chapter 26: Democracy in the Modern World - page 946

WEEK FIFTY-SIX AND WEEK FIFTY-SEVEN: - - April 11th, 2016 - April 24th, 2016
Chapter 27: Global Peace and the Human Future - page 978

Acknowledgments - page 1013
Notes to Book Two - page 1015
Bibliography - page 1029
Further Reading - page 1041
Index - page 1053

WEEK FIFTY-EIGHT - April 25th, 2016 - May 1st, 2016
Book as Whole and Final Thoughts

How is it going with the reading of this book? I'm about to start, but then I see that there has been little activity in the discussion board lately. I hope the assignment is not off. I see that I have a couple of hundred pages to catch up, but I think I should manage in a couple of weeks. This will be the first time I engage in this kind of reading assignment, and I'm looking forwards to participate. And last but not least: a big thanks to the History Book Club for inspiring me to pick up this title.

No it is not Ola - I have been away and will revamp the syllabus so we can keep going - I am glad that you are inspired - we are all volunteers and busy professionals so occasionally we have to catch up like everybody else.

Everybody will have plenty of time to catch and there will be so many ancillary readings that we can do along the way - delighted to have you with us.

I am glad to see that the discussion on the book will continue. I think what I like about the book so far is its readability.

Yes guys I will be updating the syllabus etc so we can proceed and not lose any discussion whatsoever. Focusing on Readathon on Saturday and hope some of you will be joining in there.

I am also setting up a thread for a read of Plato's Republic as well here.

There are threads set up and open and new ones as well and I am trying to add some foundational material (videos, my notes, and other tools to help you make sense of all of this and see the connections).

I am posting these on the appropriate threads. And you can watch most of these right on the goodreads HBC site.