Overview
When researching political theory it is very important to choose your keywords carefully. As researchers are often looking for perspectives that reinforce and counter their views, it can be challenging to locate all relevant sources. Unfortunately, there is no "opposing viewpoint" search filter.
Reference sources, such as encyclopedias linked below are excellent sources for conceptual introductions, as well as keywords. Related terms are often listed and can help in identifying the language of the theory.
It is also common to search for works by a specific theorist, or author. UBC's Summon search is the best place for this type of research as you will find all of the print and digital copies of works available through UBC Library.
Background Reading
A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy by Call Number: JA71 .C565 2007Provides in-depth coverage of contemporary philosophical debate in all major related disciplines, such as economics, history, law, political science, international relations and sociology. Presents analysis of key political ideologies. Includes detailed discussions of major concepts in political philosophy, including virtue, power, human rights, and just war.
Encyclopedia of Modern Political Thought by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9780872899100Publication Date: 2013This groundbreaking new work explores modern and contemporary political thought since 1750, looking at the thinkers, concepts, debates, issues, and national traditions that have shaped political thought from the Enlightenment to post-modernism and post-structuralism.
Encyclopedia of Political Theory by Call Number: OnlinePublication Date: 2010Examines the ideas of the major political theorists from before Plato to our own times; the main schools of political thought; the concepts and issues that have captured the imagination and attention of political theorists; and some of the main institutions and practices inspired by political thought. More than 450 entries in three volumes.
Key themes include Ancient Thought; Applied Ethics; Biographies; Comparative Theory; Constitutional Thought; Critical Theory; Democratic Thought; Early Modern Thought; International Theory.
Encyclopedia of Political Thought by Call Number: JA61 .E5232 2001"Encyclopedia of Political Thought is a resource for students or general readers who want to know more about the major ideas, philosophies, and concepts of civic administration that have influenced and shaped civilization past and present." "With particular emphasis on the 20th century, the encyclopedia contains more than 400 cross-referenced entries that make up an up-to-date survey of topics that have been crucial to the history of humankind, including the rise and fall of communism, the advent of feminism, and the advancement of democracy." "Key concepts and controversial issues are clearly defined and thoughtfully analyzed."
Encyclopedia of Politics: The Left and the Right by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 1412904099Publication Date: 2005Although the distinction between the politics of the left and the right is commonly assumed in the media and in treatments of political science and history, the terms are used so loosely that the student and the general reader are often confused: What exactly are the terms left and right supposed to imply? This two-volume Encyclopedia of Politics: The Left and the Right contains over 450 articles on individuals, movements, political parties, and ideological principles, with those usually thought of as left in the left-hand volume (Volume 1), and those considered on the right in the right-hand volume (Volume 2). Key Themes Countries/Regions "Isms" Laws Political Issues Political Movements Political Parties People
Fifty Major Political Thinkers by Call Number: OnlinePublication Date: 2003Introduces the life and thought of major figures in Western political thought, from ancient Greece to the present day. The entries provide an accessible and clearly written introduction to the major ideas and schools of thought which have shaped contemporary politics, including figures such as: Aristotle, Machiavelli, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft, Karl Marx, Mohandas Ghandi, Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Foucault, and Jurgen Habermas.
International Encyclopedia of Political Science by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9781412959636Publication Date: 2011With entries from leading international scholars from around the world, this eight-volume encyclopedia offers the widest possible coverage of key areas both regionally and globally.
Oxford Handbook of International Political Theory by Call Number: OnlinePublication Date: 2018This Handbook provides an authoritative account of the issues, debates, and perspectives in the field, guided by two basic questions concerning its purposes and methods of inquiry. First, how does International Political Theory (IPT) connect with real world politics? In particular, how does it engage with real world problems, and position itself in relation to the practices of real world politics? And second, following on from this, what is the relationship between IPT and empirical research in international relations?
Politics: The Key Concepts by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9780415497398Publication Date: 2015Politics: The Key Concepts is an up-to-date and broad-ranging introduction to the terms that lie at the heart of political discourse. Entries are drawn from areas such as political theory, international politics, political science and methodology.
