History of political thought

Overview

Among the many contributions to political philosophy, a continuous thread can be traced from the analytical theorising of the thinkers of Ancient Greece through the writings of the philosophers of The Enlightenment and the teachings of the founders of the French and American revolutions, to the current ideologies of Conservatism, Liberalism, Socialism and their offshoots. Since the contributions of the political philosophers of China and India are not a significant part of that thread, they are conventionally omitted from courses and treatises on the history of economic thought, and given separate treatment elsewhere. Among the topics that are debated throughout what is regarded as the mainstream thread, are the relations between individual and community, and between community and state. A further topic that assumes increasing importance in recent decades concerns political interactions between nation states.