CHOICE November 2003 vol. 41 no. 03 Crittenden, Jack. Democracy's Midwife: An Education in Deliberation. Lexington Books, 2002. 248p bibl index afp ISBN 0739103296 pbk, $26.95

Crittenden (Arizona State Univ.) provides a useful and consistent defense of the need for "more participatory and deliberative forums within democracy." This volume extends the author's earlier scholarly work, which was devoted to overcoming the contemporary dichotomy between liberal and communitarian theories of politics. A deliberative, autonomous, and more direct democratic political order is affirmed. Crittenden provides a useful delineation of the view that a necessary and salutary tension exists between autonomy and deliberation in political decision making, while also adequately surveying the views of many related contemporary theorists on the issue. The author offers a defense of writing as the primary element in the development of the critical thinking process that should, he argues, undergird a deliberative and democratic political system. The optimal curricular reform should include not only an integrated writing regimen but a core course of study as well. Crittenden's depiction of deliberation within the American founding is overly simplistic and the most problematic aspect of the book. Crittenden presents an insightful critique of the role of the state and the citizenry in promoting and preserving a system of popular rule. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate collections and above.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Lee University

Copyright 2003 American Library Association

CHOICE February 2004 vol. 41 no. 06 41-3713 JA66 MARC Political Concepts, ed. by Richard Bellamy and Andrew Mason. Manchester University, 2003. (Dist. by Palgrave) 245p bibl index ISBN 0719059089, $74.95; ISBN 0719059097 pbk, $24.95

Eschewing the spirit of disillusionment often encountered in contemporary political theory, Bellamy (Univ. of Essex, UK) and Andrew Mason (Univ. of Southampton, UK) have edited an anthology that presents "a broad range of the main concepts employed in contemporary debates among both political theorists and ordinary citizens." This laudable book consists of 17 chapters on "political concepts" such as liberty, rights, and social justice, as well as legitimacy and welfare, and includes five chapters related to present-day controversies such as multiculturalism and green political theory. All essays are well researched, accessible to a wide readership, and generally devoid of an overly technical vocabulary. The brevity of the chapters deserves special note. The chapters on liberty, legitimacy, and the rule of law also merit praise. Other chapters lack the philosophical rigor and precision of argument found in the rest of the book, as evinced in the chapter on gender. In returning to the importance of defining political concepts to encourage political understanding and ultimately participation, the volume makes a fine contribution. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Lee University

CHOICE April 2004 vol. 41 no. 08 41-4945 JC423 2002-12194 CIP Saward, Michael. Democracy. Polity, 2003. 175p bibl index ISBN 0745623492, $59.95; ISBN 0745623506 pbk, $24.95

Saward offers an accessible and forthright introduction to contemporary debates over the meanings, forms, and enduring qualities of democracy. Readers are invited to confront the potentialities and limitations of democracy. As Saward (Open University) suggests, there are profound disagreements over the concept of democracy. The author attempts to introduce readers to the various interpretations of democracy without exhibiting his own preference. The first chapter includes a thoughtful discussion of how democracy is defined, making use of three case studies to delineate the "meaning and value" of democracy. The second and third chapters provide a survey of different approaches (defined as narratives) to democracy. The use of the contributions of Schumpeter, Downs, and Dahl, among others, deserves commendation; however, a more elaborate reinterpretation and articulation of the more classic approaches and controversies related to democracy (for example, Rousseau and Burke), and a more integrated use of American sources would have been useful. Chapters four and five introduce current disputes in democratic theory. Unfortunately, presentation of the critics of plebiscitarian models of democracy remains underdeveloped. Overall, the book is an excellent primer on the study of democratic theory. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Lee University

May 2005 vol. 42 no. 09 Cheah, Pheng. Spectral Nationality: Passages of Freedom from Kant to Postcolonial Literatures of liberation. Columbia, 2004, (c2003). 408p index afp ISBN 023113018X, $62.50; ISBN 0231130198 pbk, $22.50

Cheah (Univ. of California, Berkeley) attempts to assimilate the insight of several movements within contemporary scholarship, including cultural studies and deconstructionism, in order to articulate a defense of a properly defined "postcolonial" nationalism. The book offers a coherent, albeit questionable, argument against inherited theories of "organismic vitalism" and a justification for a new nationalism based on indigenous cultural sources; and it develops a political theory of freedom predicated on the author's definition of the concept. The book is divided into two parts. The first half serves as a critique of freedom as a faulty organic construct in the thought of Kant, Hegel, Fichte, Marx, and socialist political philosophy. The second half is a search for thinkers who integrate their own cultural milieu into the context of nationalism, utilizing figures from Southeast Asia (Pramoedya) and Kenya (Ngugi). The work is heavily influenced by the writings of Jacques Derrida, Frantz Fanon, and Amilcar Cabral, and evinces the literary idiom of postmodernism. The author's reluctance to ponder the potential contribution of capitalism and less radically egalitarian measures to achieve his ends presents a major obstacle to his enterprise. Summing Up: Optional. Graduate and research collections.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Lee University

CHOICE December 2006 vol. 44 no. 04 44-2383 K290 2005-56114 CIP Dworkin, Ronald. Justice in Robes. Belknap, Harvard, 2006. 308p bibl index afp ISBN 0674021673, $35.00

Dworkin (law and philosophy, New York Univ.), a respected judicial scholar, attempts to provide a "general theory" of law, while identifying three necessary stages of legal analysis: semantics, jurisprudential, and doctrinal. The combination of these three components provides the basis for a deeper understanding of the authentic interconnectivity between law and morals, according to Dworkin. The work consists of eight previously published essays and one new essay; it possesses the typical limitations of an edited collection of essays composed by a single author over an extended period of time (a decade and a half). Many worthwhile topics are examined, but the collection lacks thematic cohesion and purpose. Chapters one through three are critiques of Richard Rorty, Stanley Fish, Cass Sunstein, and Richard Posner. Chapter four is devoted to refuting Isaiah Berlin's alleged "moral pluralism." The remaining five chapters are assessments of H. L. A. Hart, Antonin Scalia, John Rawls, and other thinkers, as well as a defense of Dworkin's earlier scholarship. Finally, Dworkin's attempted refutation of "originalism" is predictable, given his well-known opinions on the subject. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through practitioners.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE October 2007 vol. 45 no. 02 45-1142 JK1726 2005-12038 CIP

Uniting America: Restoring the Vital Center to American Democracy, ed. by Norton Garfinkle and Daniel Yankelovich. Yale, 2006, (c2005). 287p bibl index afp ISBN 0300108567, $32.00

This edited volume presents a readable, erudite argument for the return of a centrist agenda in US public life. The 14 chapters by respected scholars are arranged under six major themes: the vital center, Social Security and health care, diversity and unity, security, citizenship, and environmental and electoral reform. The authors seek to encourage a "rebirth of a spirit of unity and compromise" within US politics. Claims about the bifurcated nature of the American electorate made by pollsters and political observers are disputed in a comprehensive manner. In fact, the authors suggest an important degree of national unity has prevailed in many areas, although "polarization" has reigned in Congress and in the news media. The first two chapters form the heart of the volume. In chapter 1, Yankelovich suggests that Americans have created a moderate and tolerant social and political order. In chapter 2, Garfinkle details the moderate consensus in economic policy since WW II. Other chapters, especially chapter 5 (Alan Wolfe), concerning religion as a unifying force in America society, are less persuasive. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE October 2007 vol. 45 no. 02 45-1125 JC229 2006-20803 CIP

Boesche, Roger. Tocqueville's Road Map: Methodology, Liberalism, Revolution, and Despotism. Lexington Books, 2006. 215p index afp ISBN 9780739116654, $70.00 Boesche, Roger (author)

Given the resurgence of interest in the political thought of Tocqueville, and the ideological nature of the major streams of interpretation that have emerged, this balanced collection of articles by one of the leading Tocqueville scholars is most welcome. In the course of nine previously published essays, Boesche (Occidental College) surveys the major issues associated with the study of Tocqueville. The first two chapters address Tocqueville's role as a prognosticator of social and political change and as a classical liberal thinker. Chapters 3-5 analyze Tocqueville's assessments of capitalism, revolutionary movements, and the use of military force. The final four chapters are attempts to relate Tocqueville's insights to contemporary problems of nihilism, prison reform, tyranny, and journalism. The chapter on Tocqueville's "strange liberalism," which the author describes as Tocqueville's criticism of the pursuit of self-interest without restraint, makes a significant contribution to current scholarship. The defense of the historical nature of Tocqueville's writings will challenge some contemporary assessments as well. The author provides a thoughtful, perhaps more ambiguous view of Tocqueville than other scholars. His view is both incisive and compelling. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE April 2008 vol. 45 no. 08 Outstanding Title!

45-4656 JC573 2007-6111 CIP

Russello, Gerald J. The Postmodern Imagination of Russell Kirk. Missouri, 2007. 248p bibl index afp ISBN 9780826217202, $44.95 Russello, Gerald J (author)

As one of the most important and engaging political thinkers of the last century, Russell Kirk is deserving of much greater and sustained scholarly attention than he has received. This work is part of a recent trend to correct this longstanding deficiency. Russello (affiliated scholar, Seton Hall) attempts to critique Kirk's writings by examining five aspects of his thought: overall mission; interpretation of history; political life; jurisprudence; and his criticism of modern life (Kirk's "counternarrative"). Kirk's active engagement with society and politics is detailed, and those who have neglected his work--viewing Kirk as either an advocate of "nostalgia" or a "static version of some ideal past"--are introduced to the more engaging potentialities of his achievement. The vital role of tradition and history for Kirk are explored with great clarity and sensitivity, along with Kirk's views of politics and statesmanship. The treatment of the interconnection between natural law and American constitutionalism in Kirk's writings also deserves commendation. In this important book, Russello provides a sagacious refutation of the often unreflective criticisms of Kirk, while affirming the vitality of his thought for contemporary politics. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE May 2008 vol. 45 no. 09 45-5261 KF8990 2007-15409 CIP

Popkin, William D. Evolution of the Judicial Opinion: Institutional and Individual styles. New York University, 2007. 301p index afp ISBN 9780814767269, $45.00 Popkin, William D (author)

Popkin (Indiana Univ., School of Law) analyzes the evolution of "the public face of the judiciary," judicial opinions. The central task of this book is to interpret how judges present their opinions, focusing upon the importance of political goals, legal culture, and institutional and individual stylistic considerations. Chapter 1 examines the development of judicial opinion in England. Chapters 2-4 survey the maturation of judicial opinion writing in the US from an institutional perspective. The critique of the American tradition's "antecedents," including Montesquieu, Blackstone, early state constitutions, and the Constitutional Convention, is most helpful. Chapters 5 and 6 assess "contemporary [American] judicial practice" regarding opinions. The most troublesome aspect of the work is the author's remedy for the decline of the efficacy of judicial opinions. Popkin encourages judges to adopt a "greater use of the personal voice and exploratory tone" in writing their opinions; however, his suggestion could potentially promote more judicial activism and a departure from traditional sources of the law. This work constitutes a perspicacious guide to recovering the vitality and importance of judicial opinions, and it offers recommendations for the proper mission of judges within a changing legal culture. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE August 2008 vol. 45 no. 12 45-7045 JF1061 2007-14215 MARC

Kymlicka, Will. Multicultural Odysseys: Navigating the New International Politics of Diversity. Oxford, 2007. 374p bibl index afp ISBN 9780199280407, $35.00 Kymlicka, Will (author)

In assessing the expanding international attention devoted to the protection of ethnic and cultural minorities, Kymlicka (Queen's Univ., Canada) has become one of the major advocates of a liberal multiculturalism as the guiding principle of such pursuits. This book serves as an extension of his earlier scholarship, as well as an attempt to integrate the political theory of multiculturalism with the insights of empirical political analysis. Liberal multiculturalism, Kymlicka argues, is an outgrowth of the longstanding emphasis upon human rights in international politics, and is not based upon notions of cultural relativism. The major purpose of the book is to analyze "the current process of internationalizing multiculturalism" and the obstacles involved with the implementation of the concept. In the first of three major divisions of the work, Kymlicka explores the success of liberal multiculturalism and the decline of traditional views of the state, sovereignty, and ethnic politics. The second part is a survey of the "logic of liberal multiculturalism" and an exploration of the potential threat that liberal multiculturalism presents to existing understandings of human rights and state sovereignty. Finally, Kymlicka reviews the efforts of international organizations to utilize liberal multiculturalism in practice. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE November 2008 vol. 46 no. 03 46-1741 JA79 2007-46793 CIP

Runciman, David. Political Hypocrisy: The Mask of Power, From Hobbes to Orwell and Beyond. Princeton, 2008. 272p bibl index afp ISBN 9780691129310, $29.95 Runciman, David (author)

Runciman (Univ. of Cambridge) argues hypocrisy is inevitable in liberal democratic theory and practice. Locating the origins of "the idea of hypocrisy" in the theater and in deceptiveness, the author posits that the political "hypocrite is always putting on an act." The use of hypocrisy in politics is dissected in chapters devoted to Hobbes, Mandeville, a troika of figures from the American Founding, Bentham, Victorians, and Orwell. The chapters on Hobbes and Mandeville are brilliant yet beguiling. However, the chapter on the American Founding generally and Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams specifically suffers from serious interpretative flaws. Reducing the American Founding to a duplicitous phenomenon because of the existence of slavery undermines the internal logic of the author's central thesis and results in an unfair, nay, hypocritical treatment of American politics and experience. While written in a lucid, engaging style, the book fails to recover the importance of political hypocrisy in a comprehensive manner. If politics is grounded in the moral and rational nature of humankind, it cannot simply be consigned to the author's selecting of the "right hypocrite." Summing Up: Optional. Upper-division undergraduates and up.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE October 2009 vol. 47 no. 02 Outstanding Title!

47-1108 JK116 2007-26964 CIP

Bederman, David J. The Classical Foundations of the American Constitution: Prevailing Wisdom. Cambridge, 2008. 337p index ISBN 9780521885362, $85.00 Bederman, David J (author)

In this innovative and erudite study, Bederman (Emory Univ.) surveys the influence of classical works on the American founding generation. A convincing argument for the Founding Fathers' use of classical ideas is lucidly advanced. The book offers a more historically accurate and philosophically coherent argument than other recent volumes on the topic. Chapter 1 details the role of classical learning in the education, legal training, and shaping of the worldview of the Founders. Chapter 2 suggests the "models" of political life imparted to the Founders' by their study of classical sources. Chapters 3 and 4 document the Founders' use of ancient history in drafting the US Constitution, with special attention to what Bederman describes as the five central elements of constitutional design--"federalism, bicameralism, a unified executive, an independent judiciary, and foreign relations power." The author defends the importance of original intent, with limitations, while concluding that the Founders' use of ancient sources was "instrumental and pragmatic." Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE April 2010 vol. 47 no. 08 47-4697 K3269 2008-49676 CIP

Nemeth, Charles P. Aquinas and King: A Discourse on Civil Disobedience. Carolina Academic, 2009. 125p index afp ISBN 9781594606380 pbk, $16.00

In this thoughtful, succinct study, Nemeth (California Univ. of Pennsylvania) attempts to synthesize the social, religious, and legal thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and Martin Luther King Jr. regarding civil disobedience and the need for "an objective moral order." In the first two chapters, the nature of law is explained, especially the categories of Thomistic legal thinking, as well as the meaning of civil disobedience. Chapters 3 and 4 argue for the compatibility of civil disobedience and the Christian life. The "radical" aspect of the interpretation suggests that an unjust law should not be obeyed. The final chapter proposes areas of agreement between Aquinas and King regarding civil disobedience. The book provides an engaging, lucid introduction to Aquinas on law. Unfortunately, the analysis of King's thought is less discerning and fails to appreciate the overriding influence of Boston personalism upon his views of social and political life. The author is correct to suggest both Aquinas and King "deliver an ethical construct that mirrors human life"; however, the divergence between Aquinas and King may be greater than the proposed convergence. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE May 2010 vol. 47 no. 09 47-5306 K460 2008-939402 CIP

Budziszewski, J. The Line Through the Heart: Natural Law as Fact, Theory, and Sign of Contradiction. ISI Books, 2009. 241p index ISBN 9781935191179, $25.00

With the current renaissance of interest in natural law among students of politics and law, this collection of ten essays and an afterword in defense of the concept will be of interest to a diverse readership. The book consists of previously published essays and lectures that provide a useful introduction to the importance of natural law. The book is divided into a section of essays on the "foundational principles of good and evil" and a section devoted to explicating the implications of natural law for politics. The first half offers engaging analyses of natural law as the embodiment of truth about the constitution of the human person, philosophical reality, and revelation. The second half confronts the relationship between natural law and several contemporary issues, including capital punishment and the limits of liberalism. Budziszewski (Univ. of Texas) writes in an accessible style that encourages the reader to ponder the significance of natural law for the modern world, while he argues that the concept is "embedded into the structure of creation." Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE October 2010 vol. 48 no. 02 48-1138 K720 2009-33259 CIP

Purdy, Jedediah. The Meaning of Property: Freedom, Community, and the Legal Imagination. Yale, 2010. 225p index afp ISBN 9780300115451, $28.00 Purdy, Jedediah (author)

Purdy (Duke Univ.) critiques and attempts to refute classical economic liberalism. He seeks to advance the themes of his earlier books by defending a contemporary, liberal social and political order under the guise of examining "the place of property in the modern legal imagination." Part 1 ("Origins") surveys "the rise of the vision of property as a uniquely integrating institution for the values of liberal, commercial modernity." Part 2 ("Crises") attempts to demonstrate the failure of inherited views of property, with a special emphasis on colonial India and the US. Arguing for "free labor" and against imperialism, Purdy endorses "antislavery" and "antifeudal" postures as promoting a market economy while conveniently neglecting the more extreme and contradictory positions associated with these approaches. The use of Adam Smith as philosophical guide is not without limitations. Smith, the moral philosopher and theorist of the spontaneous and benevolent genesis of institutions, cannot be reconciled with the author's "calculus of [human] interest" that should dictate all decision making. Part 3 ("Reclamations") provides a provocative assessment of some present-day controversies involving property. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE December 2010 vol. 48 no. 04 48-2366 KF4550 2009-38237 CIP Strauss, David A. The Living Constitution. Oxford, 2010. 150p index afp ISBN 9780195377279, $21.95 Strauss, David A (author)

In this volume, Strauss (law, Univ. of Chicago) provides an accessible and lucid refutation of originalist jurisprudence. In six chapters containing both new and previously published scholarship, originalism is analyzed as a flawed approach to interpreting the Constitution (chapter 1). The common law as the basis for American constitutionalism is defended (chapter 2), the "evolutionary common law" is applied to issues of speech and race (chapters 3 and 4), and the challenges of utilizing a written constitution are discussed (chapters 5 and 6). Unfortunately, the author's occasionally unreflective attitude toward originalism is most obvious when he argues incorrectly that the concept "cannot even claim the one advantage it purports to have over living constitutionalism," namely, the ability to limit judicial activism. Another weakness of an otherwise insightful critique is the author's omission of the nuances of the common law, especially in terms of how the common law contributes to a variety of modes of democratic theory. Regardless of how one interprets the Constitution, this volume will force the reader to reconsider fundamental assumptions about the nature of constitutional interpretation and the American regime while encountering a passionate defense of "an evolutionary form of living constitutionalism." Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE March 2011 vol. 48 no. 07 48-4147 JC423 2009-32310 CIP

Morrell, Michael E. Empathy and Democracy: Feeling, Thinking, and Deliberation. Pennsylvania State, 2010. 221p bibl index afp ISBN 9780271036595, $60.00

1. Athens State University

Writing within the political tradition of contemporary liberalism, but offering insights of enduring importance on the value of empathy to democratic thought, Morrell (Univ. of Connecticut) attempts to advance "democracy's promise" by promoting both a deliberative and an equal political order. The study begins with a thoughtful survey of the tensions between deliberation as reflection and deliberation as equal consideration. The concept of empathy, as well as empathy's potential contribution to democratic thought, is analyzed. Empathy as a process, including affect and cognition, is defended. In arguing for an "affective turn" as the best alternative for democratic life, the author affirms and surveys the contribution of political psychology regarding the role of "emotion, feelings, moods, and passions" in "explaining political attitudes and behavior." When the process model of empathy is integrated within deliberative democratic practices, "legitimate decisions that give equal consideration to all those in a society" can be achieved. The study fails to incorporate the discernments of classical, Christian, and phenomenological traditions regarding empathy into an otherwise noteworthy project. This reevaluation of the importance of empathy to deliberative democracy fills a critical lacuna in current scholarship. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE August 2011 vol. 48 no. 12 48-7189 JC571 2010-25821 CIP

Kateb, George. Human Dignity. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2011. 238p bibl index afp ISBN 9780674048379, $22.95

In this lucid and highly readable "defense of human dignity" and rights, Kateb (Princeton Univ.) explicitly avoids the use of theological insights, preferring the autonomous individual and human reason as his guides. For Kateb, the equal status of persons and the dignity of the person are not synonymous with the dignity of the species. Human "stature" is viewed as individual achievement. Kateb predictably values the individual over the community, often discounting the importance of communitarian achievements to the promotion of human dignity. While exhibiting much perceptiveness, this study approaches human dignity with what some readers will view as overly modest expectations, perhaps not unrelated to the author's refusal to fully assess the contribution of religious thinking on the topic. In defending the "inviolability" of human rights on moral and existential grounds, the Golden Rule is offered as the best guide for private morality, while a humane constitution is presented as the "best public morality." Kateb's critique of many prominent thinkers, including Peter Singer and J. S. Mill, and his provocative application of a theory of human dignity and rights to contemporary politics, are significant accomplishments. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Gainesville State College

CHOICE March 2012 vol. 49 no. 07 49-4140 K3165 2010-27465 CIP

Sajó, András. Constitutional Sentiments. Yale, 2011. 382p index afp ISBN 9780300139266, $75.00

This thoughtful book seeks to "consider the role of emotions in constitutional law, accepting that one cannot understand human behavior and law as a purely rational venture." Sajó (Central European Univ.), a practicing judge at the European Court of Human Rights, offers a compelling legal and theoretical alternative to the positioning of reason and emotion as the extremes of jurisprudential thinking, while also explicating the pivotal function emotion assumes in constitutional design and law. The book consists of seven chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the author's argument on the behalf of a social constructivist concept of emotion, as well as the disadvantages of neglecting emotion more generally. The second chapter outlines the importance of "enhanced emotions" as defined by the French Declaration of Rights. The third and fourth chapters detail the role that the emotions of fear and empathy have assumed in modern politics. The fifth and sixth chapters articulate how emotion is pivotal to defenses of freedom of speech and assembly. The final, and arguably the most compelling, chapter argues for the importance of shame as a corrective emotion for past injustices, and the "recognition of responsibility." Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Gainesville State College

CHOICE April 2012 vol. 49 no. 08 49-4724 JC229 2011-8450 CIP

Kaledin, Arthur. Tocqueville and His America: A Darker Horizon. Yale, 2011. 440p bibl index afp ISBN 9780300119312, $45.00

In this engaging and discursive study dedicated to interpreting the "character and thought" of Tocqueville, Kaledin (emer., history, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) concentrates upon the ancillary and "darker" (less than optimistic) legacies of Tocqueville's writings and views on politics and society. While expressing admiration for Tocqueville, Kaledin is more devoted to explicating the weaknesses of Tocqueville as a political thinker, concluding "he was a disharmonious man, full of disunited passions and impulses." The book is divided into four sections. The first part attempts to survey the formative influences on Tocqueville and his Democracy in America, stressing his "triple-alienation," ambivalence, and aristocratic tendencies. The second, more rewarding and succinct part of the study analyzes Tocqueville's "political passion," and situates the great Frenchman within his own political tradition. The third part examines Tocqueville's writing of Democracy in America as an effort to critique the "fate of liberty" in the modern world. The final part attempts to defend Tocqueville's "darker, more apprehensive" view of the American polity. Unfortunately, Tocqueville's defense of a constitutionally restrained political order, premised on the diffusion of authority, cannot be easily reconciled with the author's interpretation of Tocqueville. Summing Up: Optional. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and research collections.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Gainesville State College

May 2012 vol. 49 no. 09

Spellman, W. M. A Short History of Western Political Thought. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. 189p bibl index ISBN 9780230545588, $85.00; ISBN 9780230545595 pbk, $28.00 Spellman, W M (author)

In this readable, succinct volume, Spellman (Univ. of North Carolina, Asheville) provides an introduction to the evolution of political ideas that have shaped the West. Spellman synthesizes a tremendous body of historical and philosophical sources into an accessible survey, generally following the tradition of interpretation of the Cambridge school of political thought. The book is divided into six chapters that represent transitional periods, beginning with Hellenic political theory (chapter 1) and concluding with 20th-century political theory (chapter 6). The greatest contribution of the survey is found in the thoughtful analysis of the diversity of political thinking in the late Middle Ages in chapter 2. The book's lack of attention to the structure and arguments of the primary texts under evaluation is a significant weakness, however. While considerable attention is devoted to historical events, the continuing relevance of central texts in the Western political tradition is ignored. Regardless of any criticism, the tome is a useful primer on Western political thought for the general reader and undergraduate students. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., Gainesville State College

CHOICE November 2012 vol. 50 no. 03 50-1731 QC903 2011-933429 MARC

Lane, Melissa. Eco-Republic: What the Ancients Can Teach Us About Ethics, Virtue, and Sustainable Living. Princeton, 2012. 245p bibl index afp ISBN 9780691151243, $29.95

In this provocative, accessible reflection on the potential contributions of Platonic political thought to the resolution of contemporary environmental problems, Lane (Princeton Univ.) attempts to craft "an intuitive and imaginative model inspired by the ancients." As a work in political theory, the book offers new insights into Plato and contemporary debates regarding climate change. The book is organized into three coherent parts, each focusing on a central aspect of her interpretation. Part 1 is devoted to inertia, a critique of the limitation of current approaches to everyday life and the environment. Instead of a simple refutation of current attitudes, Lane argues for improvement, suggesting the West can be "saved from itself." Part 2 addresses ways an improvement in thinking about politics and society through a revitalized imagination can help offer new approaches to resolving environmental dilemmas. Her use and explication of a moral imagination would have benefited greatly from the integration of the work of a greater variety of theorists. Lane's erudite integration of Plato's Republic is a significant accomplishment. Part 3 deals with initiative or how people can respond to change. Lane argues that people must change, but how they respond to the change is the most important consideration. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

CHOICE March 2013 vol. 50 no. 07 50-4112 JA71 2011-38850 CIP

White, Michael J. Political philosophy: A Historical Introduction. Oxford, 2012. 431p index afp ISBN 9780199860517 pbk, $29.95

In a lengthy and readable book, White (philosophy, Arizona State Univ.) provides a capable introduction to major political philosophers in the Western tradition. Generally, the book follows a traditional approach by surveying seminal thinkers and texts, but the author, influenced by recent efforts to place political philosophy "within the context of a more comprehensive moral, philosophical, or religious point of view," provides a supplemental basis of analysis for the reader to contemplate as well. The underlying argument of the book is most laudable, but insufficient use is made of the recent scholarship that most closely conforms to this mode of interpretation. As a second edition, the book includes a new chapter on Cicero, and new sections on Marsilius of Padua and John Stuart Mill. The chapter on Cicero addresses the interconnectivity between reason and morality in Cicero's political thought. Additional contributions of the book are the author's attempt to introduce, and then explicate, the "enduring issues" of political philosophy as a framework for better understanding contemporary politics, and the thoughtful treatment of Christianity's role in shaping the political thought of the West. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., University of North Georgia

CHOICE July 2013 vol. 50 no. 11 50-6440 JC233 2012-29850 CIP Altman, William H. F. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche: The Philosopher of the Second Reich. Lexington Books, 2013. 277p bibl index afp ISBN 9780739171660, $70.00; ISBN 9780739171677 ebook, $69.99

In this imaginative and refined commentary on Nietzsche's political thought, Altman provides an incisive critique of the achievement of Nietzsche, as well as his limitations. The work is the third volume of a trilogy on German political thought, following the author's earlier studies of Martin Heidegger and Leo Strauss. Utilizing Nietzsche's own aphoristic style as evinced in his Daybreak, the main arguments of the book are presented in the course of five chapters ("books") composed of 155 essays, 63 pages of notes, and other ancillary writings. The first chapter critiques Nietzsche as the classicist who looked to the past, but equally to the future, to evaluate the crisis of liberal institutions in his own time and place. Chapter 2 even more explicitly demonstrates Nietzsche's connection to the political world of the Second Reich. Nietzsche's criticisms of Plato, and his rather limited appreciation of Aristotle, are presented in chapter 3. Nietzsche's defense of aristocratic elitism and his assimilation and use of Platonic themes, especially dualism, are assessed convincingly by the author as well. The two final chapters place Nietzsche within the historical context of the Second Reich, providing insightful reflections on Nietzsche's influence during WW I. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., University of North Georgia

CHOICE November 2013 vol. 51 no. 03 51-1750 DC36 2012-32469 CIP

Jaume, Lucien. Tocqueville: The Aristocratic Sources of Liberty, tr. by Arthur Goldhammer. Princeton, 2013. 347p index afp ISBN 9780691152042, $35.00 Jaume, Lucien (author)

Though this profound, elegantly written and translated work will not appeal to all scholars of political thought, Jaume (Centre Recherches Politiques de Sciences Po,

France) nevertheless provides many insights into the life and work of the great French student of American social and political life. Emphasizing the contribution of Democracy in America, Jaume suggests that the best interpretative model for understanding Tocqueville incorporates an appreciation of his historical context. Jaume argues that Tocqueville should not be considered the "contemporary" of current readers, an acknowledgement of his attachment to French ideas and a realization of the opaque nature of his critique (a "palette of meanings"). Jaume proceeds to analyze Tocqueville as a political scientist, sociologist, moralist, and literary figure. As a political scientist, Tocqueville was an advocate of popular rule with an organic view of politics and a defender of the diffusion of political authority and localism. Society begets political arrangements, and for Tocqueville, "society creates paths to its own ends." As a moralist, Tocqueville attempted to unite the "telos of democracy and the dignity of man." Finally, as a writer, Tocqueville was an "aristocratic moralist." Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE June 2014 vol. 51 no. 10 51-5841 JC51 2013-5016 CIP

Nemo, Philippe. A History of Political Ideas from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, tr. by Kenneth Casler. Duquesne, 2013. 665p bibl index afp ISBN 9780820704555 pbk, $36.00

In the first part of a two-volume survey of political thought, Nemo (ESCP Europe) approaches the field of study in a manner different from many American authors. Appealing to readers with "little prior knowledge" of political thought, he provides a lucid, engaging introductory volume that will enlighten both novices and specialists. The use of "historical context" combined with exceedingly accurate interpretations of primary texts and the absence of ideological frameworks contributes to the high overall quality of the book. The work is organized into three long sections: part 1, Ancient Greece; part 2, Rome; and part 3, the Christian West. In the introduction to part 3, the author provides a survey of the "political ideas" of the Bible, including an accessible overview of Hebrew political thought. Important yet often neglected figures in Christian political thought, including Tertullian, Origen, and many others, are analyzed succinctly yet thoughtfully. This valuable and readable book deserves a wide readership. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE July 2014 vol. 51 no. 11 51-6425 JF229 2012-45392 CIP Cameron, Maxwell. Strong Constitutions: Social-Cognitive Origins of the Separation of Powers. Oxford, 2013. 255p bibl index afp ISBN 9780199987443, $65.00

In this imaginative and readable book, Cameron (Univ. of British Columbia) provides a learned defense of the separation of powers. While not disputing the importance of the separation of powers as a source of restraint in democratic theory, the author contends that the concept allows for collective action, which can promote and sustain democratic regimes. Other conceptions of the separation of powers are integrated into his critique, as well as the importance of divided power in promoting the survival of any government. The separation of powers, if rightly understood, actually strengthens regimes. The refinement of democratic institutions is also based on the "social-cognitive" aspects of politics, especially the use of language that encourages "collective organization." The value of a written constitution is yet another extension of this analysis. Other factors in addition to language, including collective bargaining and "democratized" technologies, can aid the evolution of the "social-cognitive" contribution to the separation of powers. For the nonspecialist, the book also contains many useful assessments of a wide range of political thinkers, from Aristotle to F. A. Hayek. The tome is one of the most insightful defenses of the separation of powers to appear in many years. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and research collections.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE September 2014 vol. 52 no. 01 52-0525 JK155 2013-32044 CIP

Frank, Jason. Publius and Political Thought. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. 175p bibl index afp ISBN 9780742548152, $75.00; ISBN 9780742548169 ebook, $74.99

While accepting the centrality of The Federalist Papers to American politics, Frank (Cornell Univ.) argues that the success of the text has made some of its key insights "obscure or illegible." A shared vision of the authors is defended (Publius), while the attempt to unlink the contributions of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay is refuted. Unfortunately, other scholars, especially George W. Carey, have more persuasively defended the concept of a unified Publius and discredited the "split personality" thesis of earlier scholarship with greater textual accuracy. Chapter 1 addresses the challenge of constituency, or the means citizens assume in creating a republic. Chapter 2 explicates the importance of political imagination in the promotion of ratification. The role of political imagination aids the author's thesis, but the concept deserves more refinement. Chapter 3 examines the role of interest as central to Publius's theory of political obligation. Chapter 4 surveys the influence of Leo Strauss and his epigones in the interpretation of the text. The seminal contribution of W. B. Allen and more recent scholarship on the Anti-Federalists are ignored. The last chapter convincingly connects The Federalist Papers with the continued evolution of and need for civic engagement. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE March 2015 vol. 52 no. 07 52-3908 JA71 MARC Freeden, Michael. The Political Theory of Political Thinking: the Anatomy of a Practice. Oxford, 2013. 345p bibl index ISBN 9780199568031 cloth, $85.00

In a highly erudite and comprehensive manner, the prominent British political theorist Freeden (Univ. of Nottingham) raises fundamental questions about how students of politics and others engage in political thinking.  The author is concerned about the increasingly “slippery” language employed in political discourse, and while admitting that the meaning of political terminology is always undergoing change, he argues that there is nevertheless a need for decisiveness and finality to sustain the body politic.  Most importantly, Freeden urges a reorientation and renewed linguistic refinement among political theorists, suggesting that such a process would reinvigorate how people think about politics.  The complexities of the analysis in the work are necessary and do not obfuscate the author’s mission.  For example, “micro-level" studies of political language usually fail to provide “interpretative flexibilities” that facilitate a broad level of understanding.  Similarly, the goal of encouraging fluidity in political thinking may not always prove useful, suggesting an element of skepticism regarding relativism as a guiding principle for politics. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE March 2015 vol. 52 no. 07 52-3907 BJ1533 2013-20156 CIP

Balot, Ryan K. Courage in the Democratic Polis: Ideology and Critique in Classical Athens. Oxford, 2014. 408p bibl indexes afp ISBN 9780199982158 cloth, $65.00

Integrating the insights of political theory and classics, Balot (Univ. of Toronto, Canada) offers a refinement of the concept of democratic courage and explains why the concept is important for contemporary political life.  In fact, he argues that democratic courage is vital for a free society that must confront “a dangerous and hostile world that is not of our own making.”  The book attempts to provide “an account of courage as a central virtue of the Athenian democracy.”  In defining the elements of Athenian courage, the author stresses the need to protect the city, facilitate public deliberation, and express emotional sentiments.  The author’s strong and convincing defense of the need to study the Athenian model of democratic courage is premised by discussions on the influence the model had upon Plato and Aristotle, the example it furnishes for current discussions of democratic courage today, and the need for a greater appreciation of the Athenian democratic experience.  The roles of shame, tragedy, and human flourishing in the development of democratic courage are also analyzed.  Finally, the book’s discussion of the relationship between democracy and courage has many ramifications that deserve to be carefully pondered. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduate, graduate, and research collections

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE June 2015 vol. 52 no. 10 52-5593 JA84 2013-45249 MARC

Lim, Elvin T. The Lovers' Quarrel: the Two Foundings and American Political Development. Oxford, 2014. 288p index afp ISBN 9780199812189 cloth, $45.00

In this engaging and innovative approach to American political development and thought, Lim (Wesleyan Univ.) affirms the “inner logic” of American politics.  Accordingly, the greatest disputes occur over the nature of the union.  The book is an explication of the two “loves,” the interconnected tension and viability of the two foundings of the American republic: 1776 and 1787-89.  The ensuing political tensions are closely associated with the two loves and whether the constitution is a restrictive or empowering document.  The two sources of tension are critiqued in the course of a historical survey that includes the generation after the founders, Jefferson, Jackson, Calhoun, the sectional crisis, the Progressives, the New Deal, and the “New Federalism.”  In depicting Washington as a proponent of an energetic presidency and Thomas Jefferson as the original anti-federalist, the book’s theme is imaginatively affirmed, yet the author’s suggestion that anti-federalists were “presidentialists” is misleading.  The connection of Jefferson and Jackson is more convincing and advances existing knowledge, but the attempt to diminish the theoretical symmetry between Madison and Calhoun is problematic.  The fifth chapter unconvincingly links the anti-federalists to the Progressives, although subsequent chapters and the overall volume constitute an exemplary contribution to the scholarship of the American regime. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE October 2015 vol. 53 no. 02 53-1021 B317 2014-3204 CIP

Schlosser, Joel Alden. What Would Socrates Do?: Self-Examination, Civic Engagement, and the Politics of Philosophy. Cambridge, 2014. 198p bibl index ISBN 9781107067424 cloth, $90.00; ISBN 9781316020999 ebook, $72.00

In this thoughtful and careful study, Schlosser (Bryn Mawr College) revisits the vitality of Socrates as a political thinker who encouraged “contesting” democracy through “questioning and dialogue.”  Instead of accepting the well-established depictions of Socrates as harming Athenian political culture (e.g., I. F. Stone) or functioning in an essentially apolitical manner (e.g., Sheldon Wolin), the author provides an integrative defense of Socrates and the continued relevance of his thought to the study of politics.  Socrates the ironic or esoteric thinker is rejected in favor of Socrates as an advocate of “strangeness,” challenging previous analyses by Gregory Vlastos and Leo Strauss.  Socrates becomes an advocate of “enduring dissonance” for living the “examined life.”  Other important issues raised in the book include new insights regarding the nature of Socratic citizenship and the Socratic model of free speech.  Socratic citizenship, as defined by the accountability of the citizenry, can provide a more prudent basis for a regime.  With a deeper appreciation of the Socratic understanding of free speech, a more inclusive and collective representation of the citizenry can also be envisioned. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduates, and above.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE October 2015 vol. 53 no. 02 53-1015 JC179 2014-38881 CIP

Creolizing Rousseau, ed. by Jane Anna Gordon and Neil Roberts. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. 310p bibl index afp ISBN 9781783482801 cloth, $120.00; ISBN 9781783482818 pbk, $39.95; ISBN 9781783482825 ebook, $38.99

This edited volume by Gordon (Univ. of Connecticut) and Roberts (Williams College) contains an introduction, ten essays, and a bibliography.  The work attempts to challenge existing barriers in comparative political theory by “creolizing” Rousseau, or identifying his “strong resonance” in “Caribbean thought and politics.”  Though the approach and thematic core of the book holds some promise, the concept may also allow a thinker, especially Rousseau, to be used in an ideological or a deformative manner.  However, the attempt to “enlarge the range of relevant interlocutors” also offers the possibility for the advancement of knowledge.  Another limitation of the work is its reliance on Marxist analysis (e.g., C. L. R. James and Frantz Fanon).  The essays in this collection vary considerably in terms of scope and modes of analysis.  Some essays will appeal only to specialists; however, chapter 3 (Mickaella Perina) and chapter 8 (Neil Roberts) are significant contributions in their own right.  Unfortunately, the collection is weakest when comparing Rousseau to Caribbean emphases and strongest when relating Rousseau to the history of political thought. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE October 2015 vol. 53 no. 02 53-1024 PN56 2014-1689 CIP

American Guy: Masculinity in American Law and Literature, ed. by Saul Levmore and Martha C. Nussbaum. Oxford, 2014. 329p index afp ISBN 9780199331376 cloth, $65.00

This volume is the third in a series of collections from scholars associated with the “law and literature” movement.  A broad group of academics contributed, especially judges and literature and law professors.  The goal of the series and this book is to examine how literature interprets “norms and stereotypes” and promotes a “fuller understanding of the role played by law in society.”  Edited by the eminent philosopher Nussbaum (Univ. of Chicago) and law professor Levmore (Univ. of Chicago), the collection attempts to explicate the concept of manliness.  The book is organized into two sections: the first part concentrates upon prevailing views of manliness, including essays on Hemingway, Melville, and contemporary works of fiction.  The second part of the book contains essays on alternative views of manhood (“outsiders”) and includes essays on Jewish masculinity, James Baldwin, Barack Obama, and others.  The lack of thematic cohesion and unevenness among the essays constitutes a serious weakness of the volume. Summing Up: Optional. Lower-division undergraduates and above.

--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College