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What Should Be Required Political Reading?

'The Politics' - Aristotle

'Leviathan' - Thomas Hobbes

'The Wealth of Nations' - Adam Smith

'The Prince' - Machiavelli

'The Federalist Papers' - Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

'Common Sense', 'The Rights of Man', and 'The Age of Reason' - Thomas Paine

'On War' - Carl Von Clausewitz

Other authors that should be essential reads: Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and John Locke.

A more modern book that I also consider vitally important: 'War and the Rise of the State' - (1994) Bruce D. Porter
 
crimresearch said:
'Parliament of Whores' by P.J. O'Rourke
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Yes!

If anyone ever tries to tell you excess alcohol causes brain damage, point them at this book. You find yourself agreeing with so much, even when he proves there is no poverty in America. Then you get to the last chapter and start muttering in anger when you realize the "whores" he's referring to in the title is you, and not only that, but you realize he's right.

Shanek probably has this book heavily annotated...
 
For American politics, many of the above mentioned by Kodiak. Background in Aristotle, Plato, Hobbes, Machiavelli, Mill, Rousseau, etc. Read Locke's 2nd Treatise on Government, and compare it to the DOI.

Also, in addition to the Federalist Papers, you must read Madison's Notes on the Debates in the Federal Convention. It's our window on what actually went on when our Constitution was being written. No one should ever presume to argue original intent without having read both of these.

Also, John C. Calhoun's Union and Liberty. Important understanding of early American political philosophy, especially Southern, written by the father of the civil war.
 
Brown said:
de Tocqueville is great. I marvel when I read what he wrote.

Another good political book is 1984 by George Orwell. We can only hope that things don't get this bad; unfortunately, it is becoming clearer that many of the events described in this book, even if not inevitable, are at least within the realm of possibility.
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Especially when you consider that the book's title was changed from '1948' at the publishers' insistence, and the book was, in fact, a comment on what was actually happening at the time.

I don't see what's happening now as a fulfillment of Orwell's 'predictions' so much as a case of things getting worse. Y'know, total, endless wars, enemies-of-the-state boogeymen, sex-as-crime, watering down of the English language, etc.
 
Most of the above, but I'd add Voltaire's Bastards by John Ralston Saul. You can read his subsequent books if you like, including On Equilibrium, but it's really more of the same.

The guy's obviously a gourmand, too. A man after my heart!
 
As a good intro, not heavy reading. I would suggest: Don't Know Much About History.

Good for a broad overview, then dig into specific deepers books from there.

The Prince is always good.
 
Adolf Hitler: Mein Kampf.
Mao Tse-tung: Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung
Muhammed Ghaddafi: The Greek Book.

We shouldn't merely read political books or newspaper that we agree with. Often, we can learn far more from those we profoundly disagree with.
 
CFLarsen said:
Adolf Hitler: Mein Kampf.
Mao Tse-tung: Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung
Muhammed Ghaddafi: The Greek Book.

We shouldn't merely read political books or newspaper that we agree with. Often, we can learn far more from those we profoundly disagree with.
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I read Mein Kampf about twenty years ago. And spent way too much time on Stormfront.org. That's enough jackboots marching around in my skull for a lifetime.
 
Frantz Fanon - The Wretched of the Earth.

The insights it gives into the minds of insurgents/terrorists fighting western colonists are still of value today.
 
"A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn.

There is an editorial bias... but the book is filled with good factual information that is rarely found in standard history texts, as well as startling accounts of events too recent to be taught in school, but long enough ago to have been nearly forgotten by most people.

Be careful which version you find... no need to miss the version that includes the Clinton years, instead of one written earlier.
 
Luke T. said:
I read Mein Kampf about twenty years ago. And spent way too much time on Stormfront.org. That's enough jackboots marching around in my skull for a lifetime.
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The book really is spectacularly poorly written, isn't it?
 
CFLarsen said:
The book really is spectacularly poorly written, isn't it?
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Yes it is. His gifts as an orator must have been complimentarily spectactular to explain his success. The book is serious drudgery to read.
 
Luke T. said:
If I know you and how you feel about America's leadership right now, I'm sure you meant "Very prescient." ;) :D
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No, I think it should be required reading just for the study of propaganda techniques. You, for instance, won't believe what people here say, even though you know that the people here who are saying it are knowledgable and have some practice in the matter. Maybe the book will get through.

And I surely hope it's not prescient.
 
Thomas Sowell's Knowledge and Decisions, while not entirely political, is a great look into the conservative fiscal philosophy. Until I had read this book, I thought conservatives stood only for bashing the left. Now if only I can find a book that helps me understand liberal philosophies I'll be set.

I will also second (or third) the Federalist Papers recommendation. The thing that struck me most was how much effort they put into setting up the government so that it was very difficult to get anything done. I wish more people realized how brilliant a concept that is.
 
gnome said:
"A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn.

There is an editorial bias... but the book is filled with good factual information that is rarely found in standard history texts, as well as startling accounts of events too recent to be taught in school, but long enough ago to have been nearly forgotten by most people.

Be careful which version you find... no need to miss the version that includes the Clinton years, instead of one written earlier.
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It's a great book indeed. But in my opinion it needs to be read in the context of, "you heard the good now here's the bad..."
 
Oh my God, Ayn Rand? _Atlas Shrugged_ is a self-righteous stroke book for teenage boys who couldn't get laid in high school but knew they were better than everyone else. Also, contrary to Rand's pretensions, her philosophy is based far more on knee-jerk emotionalism than reason. Her writings are filled with ridiculous emotional appeals.

I never did suffer through _AS_ but I did slog through _The Fountainhead_ and various essays in _Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal_ and _The Virtue of Selfishness_.

Now then, off the top of my head... It's difficult to offer a required reading list. At the very least people should be familiar with the major concepts in _Leviathon_, say, but reading Hobbes is not a pleasant experience. Rousseau, Locke and the social contract theorists are, um, rather important.

Anyway, these are some of my personal favorites-

Republic - Plato

"Perpetual Peace" - Kant

"Communist Manifesto" - Marxs and Engels

"On Liberty" - John Stuart Mill

_A Theory of Justice_ and _Political Liberalism_ - John Rawls

_Anarchy, State, and Utopia_ - Robert Nozick

_Practical Ethics_ - Peter Singer

Probably the most important contemporary political book is Thomas Frank's _What's the Matter with Kansas?_

For a media book I say _Rich Media, Poor Democracy_ - Robert McChesney

I will also restate the importance of Alexis de Tocqueville's _Democracy in America_

If plunging directly into primary sources is too demanding, one might wish to see the following books:

Morality:
_The Elements of Moral Philosophy_ - James Rachels

Politics:
_An Introduction to Contemporary Political Philosophy_ - Will Kymlicka

Economics:
_Economic Issues Today: Alternative Approaches_ - Robert Barry Carson et al. (a wonderful text that covers economic issues from a conservative (neo-classical), liberal (mostly Keynsian), and radical (Marxist) perspectives).
 
Five Books I think everybody should read on Politics:

The Prince
By: Niccolo Machiavelli

The Anatomy of a Revolution
By: Crane Brinton

A People's History of the United States (1492 - Present)
By: Howard Zinn

The Politics of History
By: Howard Zinn

Why Nations Go To War
By: John Stoessinger

---Edited to Add---

Oh yes, and any books you can get ahold of written by John Locke and Rousseau. Social Contract theory is one of THE defining forces in the formation of government today.
 
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