The Nature of Political Theory

In his controversial new book, Andrew Vincent sets out to analyse and challenge the established nostrums of contemporary political theory. The nature of Political Theory offers three major contributions to current scholarship. It offers, first, a comprehensive, synoptic, and comparative analysis of the major conceptions of political theory, predominantly during the twentieth century. This analysis incorporates systematic critiques of both Anglo-American andcontinental contributions. The 'nature' of theory is seen as intrinsically pluralistic and internally divided. Secondly, the idea of foundationalism is employed in the book to bring some coherence to thisinternally complex and fragmented practice. The book consequently focuses on the various foundational concerns embedded within conceptions of political theory. Thirdly, the book argues for an adjustment to the way we think about the discipline. Political theory is reconceived as a theoretically-based, indeterminate subject, which should be more attuned to practice and history. Andrew Vincent makes a case for a more ecumenical and tolerant approach to the discipline, suggesting that there aredifferent, but equally legitimate, answers to the question, 'what is political theory?'. Acceptance of this view would involve a supplementation of the standard substantive approaches to contemporarypolitical theory.The Nature of Political Theory offers a unique and idiosyncratic perspective on our current understanding of political theory, making it an indispensable resource for all scholars and students of the discipline.

Winner of Winner of the 2004 W. J. M. Mackenzie Prize awarded by the Political Studies Association.

“"Vincent's stimulating book reviews major currents of 20th-century political theory....Recommended."--Choice "...a thoughtful and wide-ranging interpretation of twentieth-century Western political thought."--Perspectives on Politics”

`Review from previous edition This book offers a comprehensive overview of the major strands of contemporary political theory and presents a case for the importance of metaphysics to the study of politics.'Times Higher Education Supplement

Andrew Vincent is Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Australian National University and Reader in Political Theory at the University of Wales, Cardiff, and author of the "Theories of the State" (Blackwell, 1987).

In his controversial new book, Andrew Vincent sets out to analyse and challenge the established nostrums of contemporary political theory. The nature of Political Theory offers three major contributions to current scholarship. It offers, first, a comprehensive, synoptic, and comparative analysis of the major conceptions of political theory, predominantly during the twentieth century. This analysis incorporates systematic critiques of both Anglo-American and continental contributions. The 'nature' of theory is seen as intrinsically pluralistic and internally divided. Secondly, the idea of foundationalism is employed in the book to bring some coherence to this internally complex and fragmented practice. The book consequently focuses on the various foundational concerns embedded within conceptions of political theory. Thirdly, the book argues for an adjustment to the way we think about the discipline. Political theory is reconceived as a theoretically-based, indeterminate subject, which should be more attuned to practice and history. Andrew Vincent makes a case for a more ecumenical and tolerant approach to the discipline, suggesting that there are different, but equally legitimate, answers to the question, 'what is political theory?'. Acceptance of this view would involve a supplementation of the standard substantive approaches to contemporary political theory.The Nature of Political Theory offers a unique and idiosyncratic perspective on our current understanding of political theory, making it an indispensable resource for all scholars and students of the discipline.

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