The Political Philosophy of the European City: From Polis, through City-State, to Megalopolis?

The Political Philosophy of the European City argues that modern Western political thought has underestimated the political significance and value of the community of urban citizens, offering a case for the city as a hotbed of modern democracy and a remedy for some of the distortions of political life in the Weberian bureaucratic state. It is rich in Central European case studies and offers sound arguments to revisit the offer of the small and middle-sized European town for a more sustainable future for Europe.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 298 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

The Political Philosophy of the European City is a groundbreaking and comprehensive exploration of the political life and thought of the European city. Its innovative thesis challenges the notion that modern Western political thought, dating back to the time of Hobbes and Locke, has undervalued the political significance and value of the community of urban citizens, known as 'civitas,' united by local customs or even a formal or informal urban constitution at a specific location. Drawing inspiration from the golden age of the European city in ancient Greece and Rome, the book provides a vivid description of its tumultuous life in the Renaissance Italian city-states. It argues that the city is not only a hotbed of modern democracy but also a remedy for the distortions of political life in the alienated contemporary, centralized, Weberian bureaucratic state. The book's material is particularly rich in Central European case studies, effectively overcoming the north-south divide or the core and periphery partition. Overall, it is an engaging read that presents compelling arguments for revisiting the offer of small and middle-sized European towns in pursuit of a more sustainable future for Europe.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793610843