How essential is political thought today, when trust in institutions and leaders has sunk to its lowest point? Are we political, economic, or religious animals? Should we live in small city-states, nations, or multinational empires? What values should politics promote? Should wealth be individual or collective? Do animals have rights?

Graeme Garrard and James Bernard Murphy, with 50 years of research and teaching in political theory and philosophy behind them, introduce us to a cast of 30 fascinating political thinkers. Today, more than ever, we need to remember that politics can be a noble, exciting, and civilized art and understand its foundations through the lives and thoughts of great visionaries.