A one-stop guide to the "Essential Thinkers" in political philosophy, from Confucius to Marx; this book shines the light of political reason into the darkest corners of our troubled modern times.

How to Think, Politically focuses on the best that political thought has to offer, showing readers that politics has a moral nobility and an intellectual depth totally foreign to the present age of reality TV politics. Chapter by chapter, the book takes the reader on a journey through the most important and exciting thinkers who have shaped the political landscape for 2,500 years, from St. Augustine to Machiavelli to John Rawls.

Introduced by an essay "Answering the Political Crisis of our Time," the collection explores the political ideas of figures as diverse as: Confucius; Edmund Burke; Mary Wollstonecraft; Karl Marx; Michael Oakeshott and John Rawls. Each of the chapters begins with an anecdote about each thinker and a brief biographical sketch before going on to discuss their ideas in an approachable way.

Politics today is in a deep and demoralizing crisis. It has become a vulgar and degraded public spectacle and politicians are held in greater contempt than for generations. Voter anger and disenchantment are growing at an alarming rate, fueled by a popular image of the political world as a swamp of deceit, self-interest and cynicism. This crucial new book offers short, accessible introductions that allow the independent reader to dip in and "eavesdrop" on the impassioned and political debates that have shaped history. Chapters are brief so readers can grasp the key ideas and then, if they wish, go on to read the major works themselves. The authors also show how each thinker illuminates pressing contemporary political issues and conflicts.