--- product_id: 243728398 title: "On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present" price: "1952946₫" currency: VND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.vn/products/243728398-on-politics-a-history-of-political-thought-from-herodotus-to store_origin: VN region: Vietnam --- # On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present **Price:** 1952946₫ **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present - **How much does it cost?** 1952946₫ with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vn](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/243728398-on-politics-a-history-of-political-thought-from-herodotus-to) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present [Ryan, Alan] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present Review: Among the 3 ir 4 best narrative surveys of "Western Civ" political thought. - Among the best conventional surveys of "Western" political thinkers' ideas in print. After the introductory chapters, best read selectively as interest leads the reader. Long as it is, it still could use some supplementary surveys that focus more on dissenting and excluded writers still within the framework of the text's project. But this is a good place to start. The book could easily serve as a 2 or 3 term college text ... probably its main target audience. Review: A magisterial history of political philosophy - This is a major work—and a welcome one. Once upon a time, I thought that Sabine’s history of political philosophy was the apogee in this arena. But I think that the author, Alan Ryan, has actually surpassed Sabine. He does a nice job of introducing us to the variety of political thinkers over time. But his analysis of the works—going beyond just description—is the real contribution of this two volume set. Ryan notes that (page xxiii): “This is a book about the answers that historians, philosophers, theologians, practicing politician and would be revolutionaries have given to one question. How can human beings best govern themselves”? For the record, he considers the following subjects/thinkers, among others: Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Polybius, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Bentham, Mill, Tocqueville, and Marx. There are also chapters on more general subjects, such as republicanism after Hobbes and Locke, or the American founding, or democracy in the modern world. It is intriguing that he began the work with Herodotus (and Thucydides). Ryan dissects Plato and Aristotle nicely, exploring some of their major works and making sense of their arguments—while sometimes raising questions about those arguments. There is a lengthy and insightful analysis of Augustine’s political thinking. A key question that this thinker addressed (page 149): “. . .how seriously should a Christian with his eyes on eternity take the politics of his earthly life. . . .” Machiavelli? A diplomat who lost his job as a result of internal politics. Some of his works were efforts to get back in the good graces of the rulers of Florence, such as the Borgias. Much of the chapter explores The Prince, and Machiavelli’s interesting analysis of what it takes to be successful. There is also lucid discussion of Discourses, a follow up to his earlier volume with some interesting twists. There is relevance for the United States in quite a number of chapters. For example, after the chapters on Hobbes and Locke, Ryan considers “republicanism.” Here, he examines the works of John Harrington, Algernon Sidney, and Charles-Louis de Secondat, the Baron de Montesquieu. Each of these thinkers reflected on aspects of republicanism. And each of these was referred to by America’s Founding Fathers during the Constitutional era. The discussion places the discussion of those Founders in a broader context. And so on. A powerfully developed two volume set. If interested in the history of political philosophy, this is an outstanding point of departure. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #161,217 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #22 in Historiography (Books) #242 in Political Philosophy (Books) #271 in History & Theory of Politics | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (263) | | Dimensions | 6.2 x 2 x 9.3 inches | | ISBN-10 | 1631498142 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1631498145 | | Item Weight | 2.2 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 1152 pages | | Publication date | October 27, 2020 | | Publisher | Liveright | ## Images ![On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81NWSsa-9AL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Among the 3 ir 4 best narrative surveys of "Western Civ" political thought. *by W***M on February 23, 2026* Among the best conventional surveys of "Western" political thinkers' ideas in print. After the introductory chapters, best read selectively as interest leads the reader. Long as it is, it still could use some supplementary surveys that focus more on dissenting and excluded writers still within the framework of the text's project. But this is a good place to start. The book could easily serve as a 2 or 3 term college text ... probably its main target audience. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A magisterial history of political philosophy *by S***N on July 19, 2015* This is a major work—and a welcome one. Once upon a time, I thought that Sabine’s history of political philosophy was the apogee in this arena. But I think that the author, Alan Ryan, has actually surpassed Sabine. He does a nice job of introducing us to the variety of political thinkers over time. But his analysis of the works—going beyond just description—is the real contribution of this two volume set. Ryan notes that (page xxiii): “This is a book about the answers that historians, philosophers, theologians, practicing politician and would be revolutionaries have given to one question. How can human beings best govern themselves”? For the record, he considers the following subjects/thinkers, among others: Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Polybius, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Bentham, Mill, Tocqueville, and Marx. There are also chapters on more general subjects, such as republicanism after Hobbes and Locke, or the American founding, or democracy in the modern world. It is intriguing that he began the work with Herodotus (and Thucydides). Ryan dissects Plato and Aristotle nicely, exploring some of their major works and making sense of their arguments—while sometimes raising questions about those arguments. There is a lengthy and insightful analysis of Augustine’s political thinking. A key question that this thinker addressed (page 149): “. . .how seriously should a Christian with his eyes on eternity take the politics of his earthly life. . . .” Machiavelli? A diplomat who lost his job as a result of internal politics. Some of his works were efforts to get back in the good graces of the rulers of Florence, such as the Borgias. Much of the chapter explores The Prince, and Machiavelli’s interesting analysis of what it takes to be successful. There is also lucid discussion of Discourses, a follow up to his earlier volume with some interesting twists. There is relevance for the United States in quite a number of chapters. For example, after the chapters on Hobbes and Locke, Ryan considers “republicanism.” Here, he examines the works of John Harrington, Algernon Sidney, and Charles-Louis de Secondat, the Baron de Montesquieu. Each of these thinkers reflected on aspects of republicanism. And each of these was referred to by America’s Founding Fathers during the Constitutional era. The discussion places the discussion of those Founders in a broader context. And so on. A powerfully developed two volume set. If interested in the history of political philosophy, this is an outstanding point of departure. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent overview of politcs! *by P***G on March 18, 2013* Good contents & skillfully written. With a good mixture of philosophy, history & political science all rolled into one. Highly recommended for anyone keen on politics as a serious subject matter, from ancient thinkers (Plato, Aristotle etc.) to the modern (Hobbes, JS Mill etc.) & how their thoughts still colored our present day thinking. Detailed analysis of the many thinkers are carefully presented, easily read & understood. I enjoyed the many hours going through the pages! P.S: Quite a bit of typo errors! Think subsequent editions should fix it! ## Frequently Bought Together - On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From Herodotus to the Present - Great Political Theories V.1: A Comprehensive Selection of the Crucial Ideas in Political Philosophy from the Greeks to the Enlightenment (Harper Perennial Modern Thought) - Great Political Theories V.2: A Comprehensive Selection of the Crucial Ideas in Political Philosophy from the French Revolution to Modern Times (Harper Perennial Modern Thought) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vn/products/243728398-on-politics-a-history-of-political-thought-from-herodotus-to](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/243728398-on-politics-a-history-of-political-thought-from-herodotus-to) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vietnam* *Store origin: VN* *Last updated: 2026-05-22*