Introduction

Ramgotra, Manjeet; Choat, Simon

Abstract

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the study of political thought. It examines political thought as a specific way of understanding and analysing politics, highlighting some recent debates and developments, including the development of comparative political thought. In doing so, it also reflects on the meaning of ‘politics’ itself. The chapter then looks at why and how one might study the history of political thought, exploring different approaches and discussing a range of methodological and interpretative issues. It considers who should be studied and, in particular, explores calls to decolonize political thought. Ultimately, the chapter demonstrates that political thought can be understood and studied in a variety of ways and shows why it is important to include voices that have been excluded or silenced.

Citation

Ramgotra, M., & Choat, S. (2023). Introduction. In M. Ramgotra, & S. Choat (Eds.), Rethinking Political Thinkers (1-16). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/hepl/9780198847397.003.0001

• Publication Date: Mar 30, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jul 7, 2023
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Pages: 1-16
• Book Title: Rethinking Political Thinkers
• ISBN: 9780198847397
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/hepl/9780198847397.003.0001
• Keywords: comparative political thought, decolonization, history of political thought, political thought, politics
• Related Public URLs: https://global.oup.com/ukhe/product/rethinking-political-thinkers-9780198847397?cc=gb&lang=en&; https://www.oxfordpoliticstrove.com/display/10.1093/hepl/9780198847397.001.0001/hepl-9780198847397-chapter-1