On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present

This is a major work—and a welcome one. Once upon a time, I thought that Sabine’s history of political philosophy was the apogee in this arena. But I think that the author, Alan Ryan, has actually surpassed Sabine. He does a nice job of introducing us to the variety of political thinkers over time. But his analysis of the works—going beyond just description—is the real contribution of this two volume set. Ryan notes that (page xxiii): “This is a book about the answers that historians, philosophers, theologians, practicing politician and would be revolutionaries have given to one question. How can human beings best govern themselves”?For the record, he considers the following subjects/thinkers, among others: Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Polybius, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Bentham, Mill, Tocqueville, and Marx. There are also chapters on more general subjects, such as republicanism after Hobbes and Locke, or the American founding, or democracy in the modern world.It is intriguing that he began the work with Herodotus (and Thucydides). Ryan dissects Plato and Aristotle nicely, exploring some of their major works and making sense of their arguments—while sometimes raising questions about those arguments. There is a lengthy and insightful analysis of Augustine’s political thinking. A key question that this thinker addressed (page 149): “. . .how seriously should a Christian with his eyes on eternity take the politics of his earthly life. . . .”Machiavelli? A diplomat who lost his job as a result of internal politics. Some of his works were efforts to get back in the good graces of the rulers of Florence, such as the Borgias. Much of the chapter explores The Prince, and Machiavelli’s interesting analysis of what it takes to be successful. There is also lucid discussion of Discourses, a follow up to his earlier volume with some interesting twists.There is relevance for the United States in quite a number of chapters. For example, after the chapters on Hobbes and Locke, Ryan considers “republicanism.” Here, he examines the works of John Harrington, Algernon Sidney, and Charles-Louis de Secondat, the Baron de Montesquieu. Each of these thinkers reflected on aspects of republicanism. And each of these was referred to by America’s Founding Fathers during the Constitutional era. The discussion places the discussion of those Founders in a broader context.And so on. A powerfully developed two volume set. If interested in the history of political philosophy, this is an outstanding point of departure.

Ryan provides a masterful and comprehensive analysis of western political philosophy from the early Greek views to the modern revival of Islamic revanchism and subtle totalitarianism. He has produced a tour de force worth reading and analyzing if you have the time to tackle a thousand pages.

If like me you're interested in political history - and especially how we came by our modern forms of government - but don't have the time to read around the subject in depth then this is absolutely the perfect primer. Alan Ryan's very readable yet comprehensive gloss on nearly twenty-five hundred years of political thought is a great introduction to many of the works that shaped later thinking and action. I find books like this to be an invaluable road-map for later reading, so that anyone with interest in learning more knows just where to look. As I also happen to share the author's prejudices regarding Plato, for example, it was pleasant to have some old biases reinforced while having my eyes opened to things I'd not previously known, such as the political implications of Augustine's writings. For anyone who wants to understand how the great adventure of the American republic got its start nearly eighteen hundred years earlier, and why tyrannical systems inevitably implode, this is the place to start.

I just finished reading this two volume tome having started it over a year ago. This book is not about politics as in red versus blue. The book covers political thinking from ancient times to the present. I do not know when this book was published but I wish I could have read it when I was in my 20s or 30s and my mind was readily absorbing ideas. The names of the political thinkers presented by the author were familiar to me from high school history and college courses. (I am over 60 now.) The author's topics are fascinating. His sentence structure can be quite complex but it is worthwhile rereading certain sentences to understand his points. He presents each political thinker in historical perspective while occasionally subjecting such thinker to other times in history. If you enjoy history and complex ideas, give this book a try.

Very informative

Alan Ryan is a longtime lecturer and teacher, as evidenced by these volumes - it is a two-volume set.He speaks in laymen's language and very clearly, beginning with Herodotus, delivers thorough essays on the great political thinkers of Western philosophy.Those interested in Chinese, Japanese or Moslem contributions should look elsewhere.I found the book extremely useful, but these are not volumes for specialists in this field. Although there is an excellent bibliography, the footnotes are sparse.The strength of this treatment is a fairly strong narrative arc that runs through the writing, so while Ryan is discussing St. Augustine's work he refers back to Plato's influence on the Confessions. There is a worthwhile attempt at weaving together a tapestry of philosophical thought.Very enjoyable.

The set of volumes provides an invaluable discussion of the evolution of our political beliefs.The first volume is a bit slow until it reaches Machiavelli- perhaps the author is less interested here. The discussion of Locke and his contemporaries is better than anything a have seen previously. He spends time tracing the sources of beliefs and contrasts different perspectives in this section in a way he does not seem to do in the first volumeRyan includes a discussion of the situations each of the thinkers lived in during their formative years and at the time they wrote. Ideas do not develop in a vacuum.Highly recommended

Excellent narrative but not for those seeking a light understanding of political thought. A bit tedious. If you liked Mark Levine's Ameritopia, this book is for you several times over.