David Boucher

Ethical constraints on relations among individuals within and between societies have always reflected or invoked a higher authority than the caprices of human will. For over two thousand years Natural Law and Natural Rights were the constellations of ideas and presuppositions that fulfilled this role in the west, and exhibited far greater similarities than most commentators want to admit. Such ideas were the lens through which Europeans evaluated the rest of the world. In his major new book David Boucher rejects the view that Natural Rights constituted a secularisation of Natural Law ideas by showing that most of the significant thinkers in the field, in their various ways, believed that reason leads you to the discovery of your obligations, while God provides the ground for discharging them. Furthermore, the book maintains that Natural Rights and Human Rights are far less closely related than is often asserted because Natural Rights never cast adrift the religious foundationalism, whereas Human Rights, for the most part, have jettisoned the Christian metaphysics upon which both Natural Law and Natural Rights depended. Human Rights theories, on the whole, present us with foundationless universal constraints on the actions of individuals, both domestically and internationally. Finally, one of the principal contentions of the book is that these purportedly universal rights and duties almost invariably turn out to be conditional, and upon close scrutiny end up being 'special' rights and privileges as the examples of multicultural encounters, slavery and racism, and women's rights demonstrate.

Natural Law, Natural Rights, and Human Rights in Transition

The Limits of Ethics in International Relations

Howard Williams

Peter Sutch

David Reidy

Alexandros Koutsoukis

​This handbook provides an exploration of the field of International Political Theory (IPT), which in its broadest terms, examines the ways in which ideas about justice, sovereignty, and legitimacy shape international politics. It is a comprehensive resource for those interested in understanding the philosophical, political, and legal issues that arise from interactions between states, peoples, and global actors. The two volumes of the handbook cover a wide range of topics, from the foundations of international political thought to the latest debates in the field. They are designed to give readers a comprehensive overview of the key concepts and arguments within international political theory and provide an introduction to the main debates in the field. Volume 1 takes us from the ancient world to the formation of the modern state system as we lay the groundwork for a critical understanding of changes in, and challenges to, core ideas such as sovereignty, international law and territorial integrity. The contributions to this volume explore the European domination of the discipline providing insights into how it came to conceive the world in its own image. They also focus on non-Western perspectives and reactions to European hegemony.

Volume I

The Palgrave Handbook of International Political Theory

Lucy Boucher

Both Dylan and Cohen have been a presence on the music and poetry landscape spanning six decades. This book begins with a discussion of their contemporary importance, and how they have sustained their enduring appeal as performers and recording artists. The authors argue that both Dylan and Cohen shared early aspirations that mirrored the Beat Generation. They sought to achieve the fame of Dylan Thomas, who proved a bohemian poet could thrive outside the academy, and to live his life of unconditional social irresponsibility. While Dylan's and Cohen's fame fluctuated over the decades, it was sustained by self-consciously adopted personas used to distance themselves from their public selves. This separation of self requires an exploration of the artists' relation to religion as an avenue to find and preserve inner identity. The relationship between their lyrics and poetry is explored in the context of Federico García Lorca's concept of the poetry of inspiration and the emotional depths of 'duende.' Such ideas draw upon the dislocation of the mind and the liberation of the senses that so struck Dylan and Cohen when they first read the poetry and letters of Arthur Rimbaud and Lorca. The authors show that performance and the poetry are integral, and the 'duende,' or passion, of the delivery, is inseparable from the lyric or poetry, and common to Dylan, Cohen and the Beat Generation.

Deaths and Entrances

Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen

The methodology of the study of the history of political thought is an area of study which has occupied my interests for nearly a decade. I was introduced to the subject in University College, Swansea. My teachers there provided me with an excellent grounding in political studies. I am particularly indebted to Bruce Haddock, Peter Nicholson and W. H. Greenleaf. Professor Greenleaf was kind enough to supply me with a copy of his bibliography and copies of two of his unpublished papers. I continued to pursue my interest in methodology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. I am indebted to Ken Minogue and Robert Orr who taught me there. My greatest debt is to Dr. Joseph Femia ofthe University of Liverpool who devoted a great deal of time to considering the arguments presented here. His criticisms and suggestions for improvement proved to be invaluable. I would also like to thank Alan Ryan for his general comments and encouraging advice. It would be remiss of me if I neglected to express my gratitude to Dewi Beynon who was my first teacher of politics. The research for this project was carried out in the following places; The British Library of Political Science, London; The Sidney Jones Library, University of Liverpool; The National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh; The Main Library, University of Edinburgh; The Arts and Social Science Library, University College, Cardiff; and the Bodleian Library, Oxford.

Revisionist Methods for Studying the History of Ideas

Texts in Context

Andrew Vincent

B. A. Haddock

Identities and Differences

Collingwood and Bosanquet

Gary Browning

David Boucher and Gary Browning provide a multi-faceted analysis of the political art of Bob Dylan. The contributions cover Dylan's career as a whole, dealing with such themes as alienation, protest, non-conformity and the American Dream. Dylan's work is examined from a variety of perspectives including the aesthetic theory of Kant, Adorno, Lyotard and Collingwood. The assembled authors are notable specialists in political theory, literary criticism and popular culture. They do not tackle Dylan from a single standpoint but collectively question how Dylan's work relates to the theory and practice of politics.

The Political Art of Bob Dylan

A concise introduction to the ideas and writings of the British Idealists. >

British Idealism: A Guide for the Perplexed

Bob Dylan is one of the most significant figures in popular culture. In this book, the authors provide a multi-faceted analysis of his political art. They address Dylan’s career as a whole, dealing with such themes as alienation, protest, non-conformity, the American Dream, modernity and postmodernism and pivotal moments of Dylan’s career such as the ‘Judas’ accusation at the 1966 Manchester Free Trade Hall concert and Dylan’s comments on the need to aid American farmers at Live Aid, 1985. Dylan’s songs are analysed for their political meaning and for the songs in contemporary American political and popular culture. As notable specialists in the fields of political theory, literary criticism and popular culture the authors examine Dylan’s work from a variety of perspectives—aesthetic theory, Kant, Adorno, Lyotard, Lorca and Collingwood. Collectively, they question how Dylan’s work relates to the theory and practice of politics. In this second revised and expanded edition, the chapters have been revised and rewritten, with a new introduction exploring the enigma of Bob Dylan throughout the whole of his career and with a completely new Bob Dylan Timeline integrating Dylan’s life, songs and actions into the historical events that shaped his views. Two new chapters have been added, one focusing on the late Dylan, Masked and Anonymous and Love and Theft and another on Dylan at Live Aid and his stance on Farm Aid. This book is a must for anyone seriously interested in the legendary Bob Dylan.

Revised and Expanded Second Edition

This is the first comprehensive study of the political philosophy of the British philosopher R. G. Collingwood, best known for his contributions to aesthetics and the philosophy of history. However his political thought, and in particular his book The New Leviathan, have been neglected, even dismissed in some quarters. Professor Boucher argues for the importance of this political theory and provides a perspicuous account of its development and originality. He contends that The New Leviathan is an attempt to reconcile philosophy and history, theory and practice. Collingwood's distinctive contribution to modern political and social thought is seen as his sustained project of distinguishing utility from right, and right from duty; the passion for history coincides with the ethical thought because Collingwood wishes to identify dutiful, or moral, action with a historical civilization. Drawing on a wealth of manuscript material, this book will prove invaluable to political philosophers and intellectual historians.

The Social and Political Thought of R. G. Collingwood

Paul Kelly

This volume brings together leading theorists to discuss the latest thinking on social justice - a central concern of contemporary politics and political philosophy. Contributors such as Carole Pateman, Raymond Plant and Chris Brown explore: * the origins of the concept * the contributions of thinkers such as Hume, Kant and Mill * issues such as international justice, economic justice, justice and the environment and special rights. By bringing together the latest applications of theories of justice with a discussion of origins, Perspectives on Social Justice provides a helpful overview for students and specialists alike.

From Hume to Walzer

Perspectives on Social Justice

Research Fellow David Boucher

Paul Joseph Kelly

A significant addition to debates on social justice, this study explores key issues such as democracy, freedom, special rights and John Stuart Mill's liberal Utilitarianism, bringing these concerns to the fore of the political agenda.

Social Justice

Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are widely acknowledged as the great pop poets of the 1960s. This text provides a political, psychological and artistic profile of two iconic writers and performers.

Poets of Rock and Roll

Dylan and Cohen

First published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

David Boucher

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