Overview
- Examines nature as a foundational concept for political and constitutional theory
- Draws on readings of Plato and Hegel to counter the view that optimal political arrangements are determined by nature
- Offers innovative re-interpretations of a number of key texts by Plato and Hegel to highlight the metaphysics and political implications of nature's dialectical structure
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
About this book
“Hegel and Plato are towering figures in the history of philosophy, but often readers puzzle over what they are saying. There are very few books that deal with them clearly and intelligently. Hardly any that do so jointly. This book is exceptional in offering a clear, scholarly and intelligent guide to their work. It focuses upon how Plato and Hegel deal with nature. While recognising the subtlety of Plato and Hegel on nature, Vicky Roupa establishes a nuanced yet clear exposition of their thought. The bonus is that the books is written in a highly readable style. This is a great book!”
– Gary Browning, Professor of Political Thought, Oxford Brookes University
This book examines nature as a foundational concept for political and constitutional theory, drawing on readings from Plato and Hegel to counter the view that optimal political arrangements are determined by nature. Focussing on the dialectical implications of the word ‘nature’, i.e. how it encompasses a range of meanings stretching up to the opposites of sensuousness and ideality, the book explores the various junctures at which nature and politics interlock in the philosophies of Plato and Hegel. Appearance and essence, inner life and public realm, the psychical and the political are all shown to be parts of a conflictual structure that requires both infinite proximity and irreducible distance. The book offers innovative interpretations of a number of key texts by Plato and Hegel to highlight the metaphysical and political implications of nature’s dialectical structure, and re-appraises their thinking of nature in a way that both respects and goes beyond their intentions.
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
Table of contents (8 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Redefining the Natural: Language and Logic
-
Front Matter
-
-
Redefining the Natural: Society and Politics
-
Front Matter
-
-
Back Matter
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Vicky Roupa is Associate Lecturer for The Open University in London and the South East, UK, and Honorary Associate at the Department of Philosophy, The Open University
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Articulations of Nature and Politics in Plato and Hegel
Authors: Vicky Roupa
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52127-1
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-52126-4Published: 04 September 2020
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-52129-5Published: 04 September 2021
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-52127-1Published: 03 September 2020
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XI, 190
Topics: Social Philosophy, Political Philosophy, German Idealism, History of Philosophy