Political Philosophy: The Basics

Bas van der Vossen is Professor of Philosophy and Associate Director of the Smith Institute of Political Economy and Philosophy at Chapman University, California. He is the co-author of In Defense of Openness, with Jason Brennan (2018) and Debating Humanitarian Intervention, with Fernando Tesón (2017). He is Associate Editor of Social Philosophy and Policy.

• Introduction; Chapter 1: Starting Political Philosophy; Chapter 2: Political Obligation; Chapter 3: Freedom and Equality; Chapter 4: The Social Contract; Justice; Chapter 5: Activism and Philosophy; Bibliography; Glossary; Index.

“This is an excellent introduction to political philosophy. It is clearly and intuitively written, and it addresses key questions of political philosophy (e.g., political authority and the moral obligation to obey the law, the moral relevance of freedom, equality, and consent for justice, and the moral permissibility of civil disobedience). Van der Vossen very effectively presents an opinionated introduction to these issues, with appropriate flags and questions for controversial issues.” – Peter Vallentyne, University of Missouri