NationStates Jolt Archive

So, what is your favorite overall political/philosophical tract or text which you feel if is most influential and satisfies you the most?

Mine would be a toss up between Plato's Republic, Rousseau's Social Contract, More's Utopia and Marx's Communist Manifesto, but if I had to choose it would be Marx.

While I admit much of my own beliefs were influenced by Roger Zelazny's "Lord of Light", that's not really what you're looking for, so let me put forth Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" series as favorites, but the king of them all is Machiavelli's "The Prince", followed by Sun Tzu's "Art of War", particularily those copies with commentary by Ts'ao Ts'ao, and "The Book of Five Rings".

So, what is your favorite overall political/philosophical tract or text which you feel if is most influential and satisfies you the most?

Mine would be a toss up between Plato's Republic, Rousseau's Social Contract, More's Utopia and Marx's Communist Manifesto, but if I had to choose it would be Marx.

http://library.huttcity.govt.nz/Kids/Great_Reads/Recommended/images/Greeneggsandham.jpg

:)

I borrow my beliefs and principles from a wide variety of philosophers, but the book that set me along that path was Thomas Paine's Age of Reason.

1984 and animal farm. *nods*

I find Rawl's A Theory of Justice, Nancy Folbre's Invisible Heart, and Amartya Sen's Development as freedom are favorites of mine, especially Rawls. I prefer contemporary tracts.

hrmmm....Culture of Narcissism was good and contemporary (which gives it bonus points in terms of relevance). It has some very good points about today's American culture...it also has a crapload of craziness, but still some very good points.

Overall, though, would be hard to say. I used to enjoy Republic until I had to read it a bajillion times for various classes and now Socrates just pisses me off whenever I have to read anything that in any way regards him. I guess, though I'm not done with it, or even very far into it, War and Peace is striking me as fairly brilliant. Granted, it's a bit more philosophical than political, but it's still a fantastic novel and I can see why it's considered a world classic. In terms of strict philosophy/politics rather than fiction, I'm a Kant fan, I've got to say.

Oh, and since this is a book thread anyway...for someone who hasn't read anything by Ayn Rand and is interested in Objectivism (from what I understand of it, it matches up fairly nicely with my own philosophy, even if I have slight disagreements about the ultimate ends of the ethics and absolutely disagree with the political philosophy), where would you (assuming you're familiar with Rand's novels) suggest I start? I'm thinking Atlas Shrugged when I get some cash, but that's only because that's the only Ayn Rand book I actually know of offhand. Is there anything better to start with?

I find Rawl's A Theory of Justice, Nancy Folbre's Invisible Heart, and Amartya Sen's Development as freedom are favorites of mine, especially Rawls. I prefer contemporary tracts.
meh, I actually dislike contemporary tracts for the most parts, their either regurgitations of the original theories or too caught up in present political biases, or both.

meh, I actually dislike contemporary tracts for the most parts, their either regurgitations of the original theories or too caught up in present political biases, or both.

I don't like old political tracts because contemporary ones take them into account, archaic political biases aren't taken into account, and they have more history to reflect upon.

I'm thinking Atlas Shrugged when I get some cash, but that's only because that's the only Ayn Rand book I actually know of offhand. Is there anything better to start with?
I liked Atlas Shrugged, it's definitely worth those few bucks. Or you just go to the library (;)).

I haven't read the others yet, but there's Anthem, Fountainhead and We the Living (a quasi-fictional account of her experiences in early Soviet Russia...so definitely worth a look if you want to understand why she was the way she was).

And then there's the non-fiction books, but I always think philosophical treatises that are simply explanations of thoughts are boring. I quite like the way Atlas Shrugged gets across a philosophy through characters and story (except that monologue, I suppose).

http://library.huttcity.govt.nz/Kids/Great_Reads/Recommended/images/Greeneggsandham.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/0394865804.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Seriously (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butter_Battle_Book). :D

Plus:

Brave New World (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World)
Island (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_%281962_novel%29)
Point Counter Point (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Counter_Point)
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moon_Is_A_Harsh_Mistress)
The Theory of Moral Sentiments (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_Moral_Sentiments)
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wealth_of_Nations) (although I've only read Book I)
Tao Te Ching (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/0394865804.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Seriously (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butter_Battle_Book). :D



I think we could all stand to learn a lesson or two from the Tao of Dr. Seuss. *nod*

I think we could all stand to learn a lesson or two from the Tao of Dr. Seuss. *nod*

There were some low points (http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/1942/20213cs.jpg), unfortunately. Important lessons to learn, nonetheless.

Some writtings that have influanced my politics:

Dr Seuss's The Lorax and The Sneetches and Other Stories
Machiavelli's Il Principe, Discorsi, and others
Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire
Aristotle's Politics
John Locke's Two Treatises of Government
Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia
Heinlein's Starship Troopers and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Karl Popper's The Open Society and Its Enemies
Xenophon's Apology of Socrates to the Jury
Alexis de Tocqueville's On Democracy in America
Harvey Kurtzman and William Gaines' Mad Magazine

Thomas Paine Rights of Man

Karl Marx A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy

William Godwin Enquiry Concerning Political Justice

John Grey Straw Dogs

Mary Midgley Beast and Man

John Searle Minds, Brains and Science

Gene Sharp Waging Nonviolent Struggle

Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals by Kant. It isn't easy, nor is it particularly well written, but the ideas in it are very interesting.