Includes index.

Inventors of Ideas is intended to help students see how political theory connects diverse aspects of human life in ways that may not be readily apparent. It is designed for those enrolled in first courses in political theory and for the faculty who teach them. It can be used in conjunction with primary sources but can also stand on its own as an introduction to political theory, as a component of an introduction to the study of political science, or as part of a course examining the scope and methods of the discipline. Whatever the specific course content, this text is intended to bean accessible, but substantial, introduction to the subject.
The overall aim of the book is to offer guidance through the history of political thought, demonstrating how ideas have emerged, changed, and been contested over time. This volume both offers a picture of the history of ideas and traces the path by which the people of the twenty first century have arrived at the present moment in politics. It should enable students to develop their critical reading skills, providing them with the tools needed to recognize, evaluate, and challenge arguments that may not be made explicitly in political rhetoric.
A political theory textbook need not be merely a channel for transmitting information from book to reader. A text can promote active learning that excites and engages students and illuminates connections between seemingly abstract ideas and their own life experiences. It can demonstrate that a firm grounding in normative theory is not a hindrance to understanding or pursuing practical politics. On the contrary, for any well-educated politician or political scientist, theory and practice must work together, as Aristotle (Chapter 3) observed many centuries ago.
This book has been written at a reading level that respects the "inventors of ideas” but makes them accessible to an audience with varied interests and backgrounds. No previous preparation in political theory is necessary. As such, any specialized names, terms, and concepts are identified and contextualized in the text. Additionally, more detailed definitions are provided in the glossary. -- Preface