This book is a critique of Cambridge School Historical Contextualism as the currently dominant mode of history of political thought, drawing upon Michael Oakeshott’s analysis of the logic of historical enquiry. While acknowledging that the early Cambridge School work represented a considerable advance towards genuinely historical histories of political thought, this work identifies two major historiographical problems that have become increasingly acute. The first is general: an insufficiently rigorous understanding of the key concept of "pastness" necessarily presupposed in historical enquiry of all kinds. The second is specific to histories of political thought: a failure to do justice to the varieties of past political thinking, especially differences between ideology and philosophy. In addressing these problems, the author offers a comprehensive account of the history of political thought that establishes the parameters not just of histories of ideological thinking but also of the much disputed character of histories of political philosophy. Since rethinking history of political thought in Oakeshottian terms requires resisting current pressures to turn history into the servant of currently felt needs, the book offers a sustained defence of the cultural value of modernist historical enquiry against its opponents. An important work for political theorists, historians of political thought and those researching intellectual history, the philosophy of history and proposed new directions in contemporary historical studies.

Michael Oakeshott on Authority, Governance, and the State presents contributions on one of the most important British philosophers of the 20th century. These essays address unique and under-analyzed areas in the literature on Oakeshott: authority, governance, and the state. They draw on some of the earliest and least-explored works of Oakeshott, including his lectures at Cambridge and the London School of Economics and difficult-to-access essays and manuscripts. The essays are authored by a diverse set of emerging and established scholars from Europe, North America, and India. This authorial diversity is not only a testimony to the growing international interest in Oakeshott, but also to a plurality of perspectives and important new insights into the thought of Michael Oakeshott.

"This book addresses a question fundamental for Oakeshott throughout his life, which is what we are doing when we read and discuss some memorable work in the history of political thought. The approach the book takes to Oakeshott's response to this question is of particular interest in that it explores in detail extensive notes he made on the beginnings of political philosophy in ancient Greece in an unpublished set of notebooks in which he recorded his thoughts on many different subjects throughout his life." "In addition, the book gives contemporary significance to Oakeshott's interpretation of the history of political thought by using it to confront a series of contemporary challenges to the study of the history of political thought and to the study of the 'great books.' In particular, Oakeshott's distinction between 'various kinds or levels of political thought' is carefully analyzed, as is also the extent of his agreement and disagreement with Quentin Skinner." "In the concluding chapter, the author relates Oakeshott's view of the nature of the history of political thought to his well-known description of philosophy as 'conversation', describing it as an introduction to that conversation."--BOOK JACKET.

Vols. 1-26 include a supplement: The University pulpit, vols. [1]-26, no. 1-661, which has separate pagination but is indexed in the main vol.

This volume contains a selection of writings from the seminal figures in British political theory from Bernard Bosanquet to Anne Phillips and Bhikhu Parekh, which trace the transformation of political theory and its relation to trends in British politics and the state. Includes essays and selections from the seminal figures in British political theory and political science Illustrates the variety and development of British Political Theory from British Idealism to contemporary multiculturalism and pluralism Helps explain the nature and role of political theory and how it relates to the wider study of politics Introductory essays locate the work of each great thinker in the unfolding of the practice of political theory in British universities in the twentieth century

Contains entries that provide information about some of history's greatest philosophers and philosophical works; arranged alphabetically from Freud-to-Oakeshott.

Volume 97 of the Proceedings of the British Academy contains nine British Academy lectures and fourteen obituaries of Fellows of the British Academy.