Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Performing Political Theory

Pedagogy in Modern Political Theory

  • Book
  • © 2018

Overview

Authors:
  1. John Uhr

    1. School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Provides close analysis of core texts in modern Western political theory

  • Explores the performative dimension in political theory and provides extended analysis of theory as performance

  • Utilises forgotten lessons from past masters to provide an effective guide to teaching the history of modern political thought

  • 2686 Accesses

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction: Politics and Pedagogy

    • John Uhr
    Pages 1-18

  3. Reading Dewey

    • John Uhr
    Pages 19-31

  4. Reading Shaftesbury

    • John Uhr
    Pages 33-49

  5. Reading Machiavelli’s The Prince

    • John Uhr
    Pages 51-67

  6. Reading J. S. Mill’s On Liberty

    • John Uhr
    Pages 69-83

  7. Reading Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals

    • John Uhr
    Pages 85-99

  8. Conclusion: Reading Collingwood

    • John Uhr
    Pages 101-117

  9. Erratum to: Performing Political Theory

    • John Uhr
    Pages E1-E1

  10. Back Matter

    Pages 119-121
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

This book examines the performative role of influential thinkers in the history of modern Western political thought. The case studies examine influential political philosophers who saw their writing role ‘performatively’, as an exercise in pedagogy designed to generate a new type of political following among their readers. Machiavelli, Mill and Nietzsche wrote classic works in political theory (The Prince, On Liberty, Genealogy of Morals) to reform and reshape their readers’ ability to think and act politically. Thinkers become performative through what they write in their public performance; and contemporary academic teachers can use this to great pedagogical effect in helping students ‘get the point’ of political theorising. This book examines how a small sample of classic theoretical performers wrote their remarkable public works. 



John Uhr draws on neglected or forgotten lessons on performative writing from past masters of literary criticism like Lord Shaftesbury, R G Collingwood and John Dewey, all of whom can help those now teaching the history of modern political thought to enable students to learn the performance of politics acted out by modernising thinkers capable of writing in ways similar to Machiavelli, Mill and Nietzsche.


Reviews

“This splendid volume introduces students to the works of some of the most influential modern political philosophers, highlighting the various rhetorical or “performative” strategies they employed. It is a timely and welcome work that will be of great help to undergraduate and graduate students alike.” (Professor Timothy Burns, Baylor University, U.S.A., Editor of Interpretation)

“This highly readable and accessible new book offers an intriguing take on political theory.  Showing that classic texts can be like ‘scripts’ that are ‘performed’, Uhr explores new ideas of dialogue between text and reader, prompting a refreshing approach to active engagement with theory in the classroom.” (Professor Michael Saward, Warwick University, U.K.)

“Performing Political Theory shows that close attention to the rhetorical ambitions or ‘performance’ of major works of political philosophy is essential for understanding the substance of their teachings. It is a welcome and timely invitation to both students and teachers to enter the challenging, exhilarating and potentially liberating world of political thought.” (Professor Haig Patapan, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University, Australia)

Authors and Affiliations

  • School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    John Uhr

About the author

John Uhr is Professor of Political Science at the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. He was formerly Director of the Centre for the Study of Australian Politics, of the Policy and Governance Program, Crawford School of Public Policy, and of the Parliamentary Studies Centre at the Australian National University. He teaches two courses in political theory, namely, ancient classical political theory and the history of modern political theory. He has published Deliberative Democracy in Australia (1998), Terms of Trust (2005), Prudential Public Leadership (2015), and co-edited and contributed to Public Leadership (2008), How Power Changes Hands (2011), Studies in Australian Political Rhetoric (2014), and Eureka: Australia’s Greatest Story (2015).

Bibliographic Information

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation