A Defense of Rule

Stuart Gray is Assistant Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Historical-Comparative Political TheoryChapter 1: Homer: Ruling as DistinctionChapter 2: Hesiod: Critique, Poetic Justice, and the Increasing Anthropocentrism of Greek Rule Chapter 3: Vedic Political Thought: Hierarchy, Connectedness, and CosmologyChapter 4: Vedic Samhitas and Brahmanas: Ruling as Stewardship Chapter 5: Comparative Considerations on the Meaning of Rule Conclusion: Panocracy as a New Vision of RuleNotesReferencesIndex

"Combining wide-ranging expertise in the history of political thought with exegetical brilliance and analytical sharpness, Stuart Gray reminds us that we can expand our political imagination by turning to two influential traditions of political thought-the ancient Greek and Vedic Indian-in order to re-envision the meaning of ruling. Gray not only takes us on a detailed, highly informed intellectual tour of both traditions, but also engages in the most importantwork of doing comparative political theory: using the encounter between the two to displace, trouble and otherwise renegotiate our most settled assumptions and conceptions about the meaning of rule."--Farah Godrej, University of California, Riverside, author of Cosmopolitan Political Thought: Method, Practice, Discipline"Stuart Gray's A Defense of Rule manages the difficult trick of making valuable contributions to two different discourses in political theory. On one level, it is an excellent piece of comparative political theory, but on another level, it is also an excellent contribution to the wide-ranging discourse about ethics and human/non-human relations. By looking back in this insightful, comparative manner, Gray elucidates a sustainable and just way to moveforward." --Matthew Moore, author of Buddhism and Political Theory"A thoughtful and innovative investigation of a frequently sidelined category: rule or ruling. The book breaks new ground by offering a nuanced comparison of ancient Greek and Indian thought. Given the dense interconnections of our world, the author envisages a cosmic extension of stewardship toward "panocracy" and "world-building" - possibly as antidotes to the looming ecological disaster." --Fred Dallmayr, University of Notre Dame and author of Being in the World: Dialogue and Cosmopolis"[Gray's] book does help us to "identify gaps in one tradition by using a comparative vantage point" (174). It both underscores the need, identified by numerous environmental political theorists today, to take into account the interests of future generations, and suggests a metaphysical case for taking into account the interests of nonhuman forms of life." --Antony Black, University of Dundee