Political Philosophy in Gulliver s Travels

This book analyzes Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels from a political philosophy perspective. When authors have focused on politics in Swift's writings, this has usually meant a study of how Swift located himself on issues of his day such as church and state, and Ireland. Robertson claims by contrast that Gulliver's Travels is fundamentally a book about the ancients (e.g. Plato, Aristotle), and the moderns (science and technology), and their contrasting views about the human condition. The claim that the Travels is a kind of prolegomena to political philosophy leaves open the possibility that it does not achieve, or seek to achieve, a fusion of various teachings but rather uses the device of alien societies to point us to uncomfortable aspects of political philosophy's larger questions we are prone to ignore. Swift, Robertson argues, draws our attention to some version of the classical republic, as idealized in Aristotle's political writings andin Plato's Republic , as opposed to a modern regime which, at its best or most intellectual, emphasizes modern science and technology in combination as a way to improve the human condition.

Emphasizes the importance of some of the major themes of political philosophy such as ever-present political struggles Demonstrates that his writings show a preference for radical thought Departs from previous analysis of Gulliver's Travels by focusing on Swift's exploration

Auteur

Lloyd W. Robertson is a former lecturer in political science at St. Thomas University in Canada, among other post-secondary institutions.

Texte du rabat

This book analyzes Jonathan Swift s Gulliver s Travels from a political philosophy perspective. When authors have focused on politics in Swift s writings, this has usually meant a study of how Swift located himself on issues of his day such as church and state, and Ireland. Robertson claims by contrast that Gulliver s Travels is fundamentally a book about the ancients (e.g. Plato, Aristotle), and the moderns (science and technology), and their contrasting views about the human condition. The claim that the Travels is a kind of prolegomenä to political philosophy leaves open the possibility that it does not achieve, or seek to achieve, a fusion of various teachings but rather uses the device of alien societies to point us to uncomfortable aspects of political philosophy s larger questions we are prone to ignore. Swift, Robertson argues, draws our attention to some version of the classical republic, as idealized in Aristotle s political writings andin Plato s Republic, as opposed to a modern regime which, at its best or most intellectual, emphasizes modern science and technology in combination as a way to improve the human condition.

Contenu

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Little People and Big People.- Chapter 3. Nameless Moderns: Science, Miracles and Faith.- Chapter 4. A Realistic Utopia, and Human Passions.- Chapter 5. Heroic Ancients.- Chapter 6. Rational Horses and Humans.- Chapter 7. European Imperialism and The Bible.- Chapter 8. What we can learn <p