This book focuses on the ways in which major contemporary scholars approach political thought and writing from Plato to the present.

Approaches to Political Thought raises three important questions concerning traditional political thought: (1) Why study the political writings and ideas of Plato, Machiavelli, and other long-dead writers? (2) Who among the writers, and which of their works, are worth studying? (3) How should they be studied? The book then explores ten contemporary approaches to understanding political thought and the diverse answers to these questions. The approaches covered include those of Leo Strauss, Hannah Arendt, Eric Voegelin, Sheldon Wolin, the Cambridge School (Quentin Skinner and J.G.A. Pocock), Psychobiography, Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School (Herbert Marcuse and Jürgen Habermas), Hermeneutics (Paul Ricoeur and Hans-Georg Gadamer), Michel Foucault, and Feminist Criticism (Susan Moller Okin and Jean Elshtain). Each chapter includes an introductory essay and edited selections that illustrate or discuss that approach. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and suggestions for further exploration, including books, articles, and web sites. This exploration of contending contemporary approaches to political thought touches upon ongoing methodological and philosophical issues that are relevant to several academic disciplines, including political science, history, philosophy, and psychology.

Chapter 1 Introduction: The Study of Political Thought
Part 2 Textual Approaches
Chapter 3 Leo Strauss and Political Philosophy
Chapter 4 Hannah Arendt and Remembrance
Chapter 5 Eric Voegelin, Philosopher of History
Part 6 Contextual Approaches
Chapter 7 Sheldon Wolin and Paradigmatic Political Thought
Chapter 8 Quentin Skinner, J.G.A. Pocock, and History of Thought
Chapter 9 Erik Erikson and Psychobiography
Part 10 Postmodern Approaches
Chapter 11 Herbert Marcuse, Jurgen Habermas, and Critical Theory
Chapter 12 Paul Ricoeur, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and Hermeneutics
Chapter 13 Michael Foucault and the Archeology of Knowledge
Chapter 14 Feminist Criticism: Okin and Elshtain
Chapter 15 Conclusion