Democracy and Dictatorship: The Nature and Limits of State PowerIn this important volume Norberto Bobbio examines some of the central themes of political theory and presents a systematic exposition of his views. With great astuteness and profound scholarship, Bobbio unfolds the elements for a general theory of politics. Bobbio's wide-ranging argument is focused on four themes: the distinction between the public and the private; the concept of civil society; differing conceptions of the state and differing ways of understanding the legitimacy of state power; and the relation between democracy and dictatorship. Bobbio's discussion draws on a wealth of theoretical and historical material, from Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes and Locke to Marx, Weber, Habermas and Foucault. By analysing the development of different languages of politics in relation to changing social and historical contexts, Bobbio deepens our understanding of the concepts we use to describe and evaluate modern political systems. |
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User Review - thcson - LibraryThingThis book contains four scholarly essays. It's always a pleasure to read Bobbio and his historical analyses of political concepts certainly don't lack academic learning. But the essays are a bit too ... Read full review
Contents
The evaluative use of the great dichotomy | 9 |
The second meaning of the dichotomy | 17 |
The Marxian interpretation | 27 |
The natural law tradition | 34 |
State Power and Government | 44 |
The name and the thing | 57 |
The state and power | 69 |
The foundation of power | 81 |
The forms of government | 100 |
Forms of state | 111 |
The end of the state | 125 |
Democracy and Dictatorship | 133 |
The historical use | 145 |
Representative democracy and direct democracy | 152 |
Ancient dictatorship | 158 |
| 167 | |
Other editions - View all
Democracy and Dictatorship: The Nature and Limits of State Power Norberto Bobbio Limited preview - 2017 |
Democracy and Dictatorship: The Nature and Limits of State Power Norberto Bobbio No preview available - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
according ancient argument associations authority becomes beginning Bobbio called century citizens civil society claims classical collective common completely conception consequence considered constitution continuity contrast decisions defined definition democracy democratic derives despotism dichotomy dictatorship direct distinction distinguish doctrine domination economic effective element equal example exercise existence expression fact force form of government formation functions given hand Hegel idea ideal includes individuals institutions interests internal interpreted least Left legitimacy legitimate liberty limits longer meaning monarchy natural necessary organization origin parties person philosophy political power popular positive possible principle private law problem public law question reason reference regulated relations representative republic Roman rule rulers seen sense social sovereign sphere subjects taken takes term territory theory thought tradition types typology understood universal various writers
References to this book
Bibliographic information
| Title | Democracy and Dictatorship: The Nature and Limits of State Power |
| Author | Norberto Bobbio |
| Publisher | U of Minnesota Press, 1989 |
| ISBN | 0816618135, 9780816618132 |
| Length | 186 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |