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21 Am. Pol. Sci. Rev. 886 (1927)
Book Reviews

handle is hein.journals/amepscir22 and id is 890 raw text is: BOOK REVIEWS EDITED BY A. C. HANFORD Harvard Univer8ity The History of Political Science from Plato to the Present. By ROBERT H. MURRAY. (New York: D. Appleton and Company. 1926. Pp. vii, 435.) The recent revival of interest in political theory, especially in England, has led to the publication of a number of books, some of which attack the older doctrines and propose new solutions, others of which are his- torical surveys of the ideas held in the past. The volume under review belongs to the latter class. It outlines the doctrines of some of the most important political philosophers from Plato to modern guild socialists and bolshevists. It makes little attempt to trace the development of political thought consecutively or to show its relation to the conditions of the period. Neither does it attempt exhaustiveness in dealing with all the important thinkers. It rather selects a few conspicuous examples of important contributions, and is suggestive rather than comprehensive in its method. Large gaps are left for the intelligent reader to fill, and certain aspects of political theory are given scant consideration. The relation between economic doctrines and political theory is practically ignored in the interesting period at the close of the Middle Ages, and again at the time of the mercantilists and physiocrats, and even at the time of the rise of socialist doctrines. The writer obviously approaches his subject from an ethical and philosophical viewpoint. On the other hand, he is at his best in the chapters on medievalism and the imperialists, and in the chapter on Mazzini. Recent political doctrines are lightly sketched in the concluding chapter. The book is not written in a detached and impartial spirit. The author takes frequent opportunities to express his own judgments. He clearly indicates his admiration for the conservatism of Burke and for the idealism of T. H. Green. He is dubious concerning pluralism, and he has no sympathy with modern radical doctrines. He describes socialists as young men in a hurry, and advises the slow discipline of nature of Burke. Reverence for tradition and a strong religious background are considered important. The statement (p. 393) that in the United States ten per cent of the syndicalists control the action of the workers struck the reviewer as rather peculiar. The author is also somewhat skeptical about democracy. He gives some space (pp. 337-339) to 886

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