A World History of Ancient Political Thought: A World History of Ancient Political Thought: Its Significance and Consequences

by Antony Black

Overview

This book examines the political thought of China, Greece, Israel, Rome, India, Iran, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and also early Christianity, from prehistory to c. 200 CE. Each of these had its own priorities, based on a religious and philosophical perspective. This led to different ideas about who should govern, how to govern, and what government was for.

In most cultures, sacred monarchy was the norm, but this ranged from absolute to conditional authority. 'The people' were recipients of royal (and divine) beneficence. Justice, the rule of law and meritocracy were generally regarded as fundamental. In Greece and Rome, democracy and liberty were born, while in Israel the polity was based on covenant and the law. Confucius taught humaneness, Mozi and Christianity taught universal love; Kautilya and the Chinese 'Legalists' believed in realpolitik and an authoritarian state. The conflict between might and right was resolved in many different ways.

Chinese, Greek and Indian thinkers reflected on the origin and purposes of the state. Status and class were embedded in Indian and Chinese thought, the nation in Israelite thought. The Stoics and Cicero, on the other hand, saw humanity as a single unit. Political philosophy, using logic, evidence and dialectic, was invented in China and Greece, statecraft in China and India, political science in Greece. Plato and Aristotle, followed by Polybius and Cicero, started 'western' political philosophy.

This book covers political philosophy, religious ideology, constitutional theory, social ethics, official and popular political culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199281695
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/15/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Antony Black is Professor Emeritus in the History of Political Thought, School of Humanities, University of Dundee.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations xii

Time Chart xiii

Introduction 1

1 Early Communities and States 6

Human groups 6

Social behaviour and intelligence 7

Small groups and reciprocal altruism 8

Symbolic systems 9

Democracy? 11

Tribes 11

Hierarchy and ownership 12

Them and us 14

Sacred monarchy 15

2 Egypt 22

Morality: justice 25

Equality 28

Individuals 29

Spin 29

Conclusion 30

3 Mesopotamia, Assyria, Babylon 33

The functions of monarchy 38

Justice 40

City assemblies 42

4 Iran 47

5 Israel 50

The covenant 52

The people of Israel 55

Nation 56

The elders and the people 57

Monarchy 60

The Messiah 63

6 India 69

Castes 72

Kingship 74

Morality and pragmatism 79

Kautilya's Arthashastra: approach and method 80

Kautilya on political economy and foreign policy 82

Buddhism 84

7 China 92

The Mandate and the people 95

Status and meritocracy: 'advance the worthy' 100

Public service 102

Confucius on li (ritual conduct) and ren (humaneness) 103

Persuasion, not coercion 105

Mozi 107

The origins of the state 108

Shang Yang and Han Feizi: coercion and Realpolitik 110

A new kind of monarchy: the Laozi and Han Feizi 115

The First Emperor 120

Han Confucianism 122

Conclusion 125

8 The Greeks 130

The polis 130

Athens and demokratia 138

Plato 148

Aristotle 158

Conclusions 168

9 Rome 175

Cicero and the Roman republic 175

Stoicism and the principate 191

Power and philosophy in Rome and China 197

10 Graeco-Roman Humanism 203

Globalization 205

Pax romana 205

Cosmopolis 207

Natural law 210

11 The Kingdom of Heaven and the Church of Christ 215

After Jesus 219

How do we know? 220

Ritual 222

The church 222

The state 224

12 Themes: Similarities and Differences Between Cultures 227

Sacred monarchy 227

The state 228

Justice 229

The origins of kingship 230

The people 231

Social categories 232

Genres 233

Theory and practice; ethics and expediency 234

13 General Conclusion 237

Bibliography 240

Index 255