Social and Political Philosophy

Dr. O.P. Gauba’s Social and Political Philosophy is intended to be a short introduction to the problems of social and political philosophy in the contemporary world.  Its major contents include nature and scope of social and political philosophy, scientific temper and progress, concept of sovereignty, individual and the state, concepts of democracy, liberty, equality, justice, humanism and secularism, theories of punishment, principles of socialism and Marxism, gender perspective, ecological perspective and Gandhian perspective.  The author has discussed the relevant problems in a global perspective rather than confining himself to the Western perspective.  So apert from the references to Western thought and institutions, he has also highlighted the contribution of Indian social and political thought in the relevant contexts.  Frequent references will be found here to the thought of Kautilya, Gandhi, Nehru, Vivekanand, M.N.Roy and other thinkrs as well as to the Indian Constitutions.  The matter has been presented in a reader-friendly style, simple language, with suitable headings and sub-headings.  On-the-spot definitions of important terms, historical references and relevant quotations have been given in box.  Explanatory diagrams, flow-charts and comparative charts have been widely used to make it fairly comprehensible.  Thorough this work the author has exploded the myth that philosophy is an obscure subject.