Hardback
Teaching Political Theory
A Pluralistic Approach
9781800373860 Edward Elgar Publishing
Political theory deals with profound questions about human nature, political principles, and the limits of knowledge. In Teaching Political Theory, Nicholas Tampio shows how political theorists may take a pluralistic approach to help students investigate the deepest levels of political life.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
Political theory deals with profound questions about human nature, political principles, and the limits of knowledge. In Teaching Political Theory, Nicholas Tampio shows how political theorists may take a pluralistic approach to help students investigate the deepest levels of political life.
The book shares advice about how to design a political theory course, including selecting reading materials, writing lectures, making assignments, and creating experiences for students. More than a how-to manual, the book also shows how political theorists may profitably stage conversations between American, Chinese, European, and Indian political thinkers. After reading this book, political theorists will gain ideas about how to read and teach ancient sceptics like Sextus Empiricus, Chinese Daoists like Zhuangzi, African American abolitionists like Sojourner Truth, and Indian philosophers like B.R. Ambedkar.
Written by an editor of the journal Comparative Political Theory, this book offers insights to political theorists at all stages of their career on how to energize their research and teaching methods.
The book shares advice about how to design a political theory course, including selecting reading materials, writing lectures, making assignments, and creating experiences for students. More than a how-to manual, the book also shows how political theorists may profitably stage conversations between American, Chinese, European, and Indian political thinkers. After reading this book, political theorists will gain ideas about how to read and teach ancient sceptics like Sextus Empiricus, Chinese Daoists like Zhuangzi, African American abolitionists like Sojourner Truth, and Indian philosophers like B.R. Ambedkar.
Written by an editor of the journal Comparative Political Theory, this book offers insights to political theorists at all stages of their career on how to energize their research and teaching methods.
Critical Acclaim
‘This book is exceptionally impressive in its breadth – contemporary and historical, Western and non-Western, analytical and critical/continental. This is the future of political theory.’
– Adrian Blau, King''s College London, UK
‘This book is an innovative call for political theorists to pluralize their teaching styles, offering practical tips to broaden our pedagogical horizons. Embracing an astonishingly wide range of texts and traditions with precision, energy, and ease, Nicholas Tampio not only practices the pluralism he preaches but he also shares a wealth of suggestions to keep pace with our changing times. With his finger on the pulse of the latest developments in political theory, this is also a spirited defense of political theory as a discipline with teaching needs all its own.’
– Katherine Goktepe, Yasar University, Turkey
‘In this book, Nicholas Tampio presents an innovative example of teaching Chinese political thought. By meticulously tracing the philosophical and political origins of the Chinese philosophers and creatively engaging them in conversation with their Western peers, Nicholas Tampio methodically demonstrates that a comparative approach in teaching classical Chinese philosophy can recast our view of how Chinese philosophy engages political issues across space and time. The book will be a welcome source for anyone interested in teaching Chinese and comparative political theory.’
– Peng Yu, Earlham College, US
‘It is rare to encounter a text that is both intellectually engaging and carefully and sensitively crafted around the challenges of teaching political theory. The book is exceptionally creative, the writing is excellent, and the approach is admirably broad and global. Nicholas Tampio, a current editor of the journal Comparative Political Theory, incorporates the best features of this broad approach into his teaching and his writing about teaching.’
– Jeffrey C. Isaac, Indiana University, US
‘This book offers a comprehensive understanding of African American and Indian thinkers. Tampio does a wonderful job of setting them side by side to provide a comparative frame. I loved reading this text.’
– Anindya Sekhar Purkayastha, Kazi Nazrul University, India
– Adrian Blau, King''s College London, UK
‘This book is an innovative call for political theorists to pluralize their teaching styles, offering practical tips to broaden our pedagogical horizons. Embracing an astonishingly wide range of texts and traditions with precision, energy, and ease, Nicholas Tampio not only practices the pluralism he preaches but he also shares a wealth of suggestions to keep pace with our changing times. With his finger on the pulse of the latest developments in political theory, this is also a spirited defense of political theory as a discipline with teaching needs all its own.’
– Katherine Goktepe, Yasar University, Turkey
‘In this book, Nicholas Tampio presents an innovative example of teaching Chinese political thought. By meticulously tracing the philosophical and political origins of the Chinese philosophers and creatively engaging them in conversation with their Western peers, Nicholas Tampio methodically demonstrates that a comparative approach in teaching classical Chinese philosophy can recast our view of how Chinese philosophy engages political issues across space and time. The book will be a welcome source for anyone interested in teaching Chinese and comparative political theory.’
– Peng Yu, Earlham College, US
‘It is rare to encounter a text that is both intellectually engaging and carefully and sensitively crafted around the challenges of teaching political theory. The book is exceptionally creative, the writing is excellent, and the approach is admirably broad and global. Nicholas Tampio, a current editor of the journal Comparative Political Theory, incorporates the best features of this broad approach into his teaching and his writing about teaching.’
– Jeffrey C. Isaac, Indiana University, US
‘This book offers a comprehensive understanding of African American and Indian thinkers. Tampio does a wonderful job of setting them side by side to provide a comparative frame. I loved reading this text.’
– Anindya Sekhar Purkayastha, Kazi Nazrul University, India
Contents
Contents:
Preface vii
1 Teaching political theory: a pluralistic approach 1
PART I DESIGNING A POLITICAL THEORY COURSE
2 Crafting a syllabus, with illustrations from American
political thought 23
3 Writing lectures, with illustrations from Chinese and
European political thought 43
4 Making assignments, with illustrations from Indian and
African American political thought 76
PART II TEACHING POLITICAL THEORY TODAY
5 Teaching Greek political thought, with a focus on Sextus
Empiricus 120
6 Teaching Chinese political thought, with a focus on Zhuangzi 141
7 Teaching neuroscience in a political theory course 168
8 Teaching the public, with examples from education policy 192
Preface vii
1 Teaching political theory: a pluralistic approach 1
PART I DESIGNING A POLITICAL THEORY COURSE
2 Crafting a syllabus, with illustrations from American
political thought 23
3 Writing lectures, with illustrations from Chinese and
European political thought 43
4 Making assignments, with illustrations from Indian and
African American political thought 76
PART II TEACHING POLITICAL THEORY TODAY
5 Teaching Greek political thought, with a focus on Sextus
Empiricus 120
6 Teaching Chinese political thought, with a focus on Zhuangzi 141
7 Teaching neuroscience in a political theory course 168
8 Teaching the public, with examples from education policy 192
