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Political Philosophy: Home

Introduction

"If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power." - President Dwight D. Eisenhower (March 6, 1956)

How to Use This Guide

Welcome! This guide is designed to help you navigate researching the basics of Political Philosophy, including specific topics like Ancient through Contemporary Theory, History of American Politics, Applied Political Philosophy, Christianity and Political Thought, and other related topics to Political Philosophy.

Where to start

  • The Introductions tab provides valuable summary of Political Philosophy. This tab and the Dictionaries and Encyclopedias tab provide Tertiary (overview) resources to begin your research.
  • The tab Dictionaries and Encyclopedias is an excellent place to start for students who are looking for a quick overview of a research topic.
  • The next two tabs provide a historical overview of Political Theory from Ancient to Contemporary ideas. These particular sources would be extremely helpful to anyone looking to study on and/or serve in an intercultural context and would benefit from researching the underlying political philosophy of the culture which has a profound, though often unrecognized effect on cultural values and day-to-day life of those people. 
  • The History of American Politics examines the Political Theories in the United States of America from its Founding to Contemporary Political Theory.
  • Applied Political Philosophy looks at how Political Theory relates to Environmental, Foreign, Ethical and other issues.
  • The Anthologies tab provides short essays on a variety of topics related to Political Theory.
  • Christianity and Political Thought investigates the relationship between Christianity and Politics. It explores the intersection of Faith and Politics, which is an ever-increasingly relevant topic for Christians in America today, though Religious Freedom and other political issues.
  • From there, it is useful for students to be familiarized with relevant Journals provided by the SEBTS library. Journal articles are an excellent academic source that students can utilize for the purpose of furthering knowledge in a specific topic and engaging in the scholarly discourse currently taking place in a particular field. 
  • In the Links and Websites be sure to check out the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy's entries for information on Ancient Political Philosophy, Medieval Political Philosophy, Eastern and Western Political Philosophy, and popular and influential Political Philosophers.

The lists and topics are not an exhaustive display of the resources provided by SEBTS. Rather, the purpose of these lists is to provide a starting place for students who are beginning the research process in a new field. 

Also beneficial to the researching student is the Guide "Research Process." There you will find a comprehensive introduction to the academic research and writing process as well as some helpful resources concerning research appointments, bibliography, and citation help. 

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