- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Princeton University Press; First Edition edition (1 April 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0691129312
- ISBN-13: 978-0691129310
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.7 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 515,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
Political Hypocrisy
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Review
A very intelligent, subtle, and learned guide to the classics and to the pre-eminent historical examples of hypocrisy from Mandeville and Hobbes, to Jefferson and the Victorians, with some concluding examples to illustrate the special problems of hypocrisy and sincerity in democracies. -- David Martin, Times Literary Supplement
[Political Hypocrisy] contains a plethora of shrewd and quotable remarks. . . . What struck a chord with me was his gentle demolition of the idea that a politician's profession of his own sincerity, or passionate belief, proves anything at all. -- Samuel Brittan, Financial Times
University of Cambridge political theorist David Runciman takes a far more textured, sophisticated approach to the phenomenon in Political Hypocrisy, a timely, long overdue study of one of public life's in-your-face puzzles. -- Carlin Romano, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Political Hypocrisy is not just another denunciation of politicians as liars. Instead, it offers us a tour, from Hobbes and Mandeville to Bentham and Orwell. Runciman is best on the American revolutionaries and our eminent Victorians, perhaps because both the US war of independence and the British empire required self-aware democratic politicians to gloss over the gaps between their proclaimed beliefs and their actual behaviour. -- David Willetts, Prospect Magazine
Political Hypocrisy is a deep and thought-provoking work. -- Tim Dunne, THE
In the excellent Political Hypocrisy, British journalist David Runciman uses the 2008 campaign to test his thesis that hypocrisy and anti-hypocrisy are joined in a 'discrete system' and that our obsession with this antagonistic tango is making modern politics impossible. -- Richard King, The Australian Literary Review
[Political Hypocrisy] contains a plethora of shrewd and quotable remarks. . . . What struck a chord with me was his gentle demolition of the idea that a politician's profession of his own sincerity, or passionate belief, proves anything at all. -- Samuel Brittan, Financial Times
University of Cambridge political theorist David Runciman takes a far more textured, sophisticated approach to the phenomenon in Political Hypocrisy, a timely, long overdue study of one of public life's in-your-face puzzles. -- Carlin Romano, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Political Hypocrisy is not just another denunciation of politicians as liars. Instead, it offers us a tour, from Hobbes and Mandeville to Bentham and Orwell. Runciman is best on the American revolutionaries and our eminent Victorians, perhaps because both the US war of independence and the British empire required self-aware democratic politicians to gloss over the gaps between their proclaimed beliefs and their actual behaviour. -- David Willetts, Prospect Magazine
Political Hypocrisy is a deep and thought-provoking work. -- Tim Dunne, THE
In the excellent Political Hypocrisy, British journalist David Runciman uses the 2008 campaign to test his thesis that hypocrisy and anti-hypocrisy are joined in a 'discrete system' and that our obsession with this antagonistic tango is making modern politics impossible. -- Richard King, The Australian Literary Review
Product Description
What kind of hypocrite should voters choose as their next leader? The question seems utterly cynical. But, as David Runciman suggests, it is actually much more cynical to pretend that politics can ever be completely sincere. The most dangerous form of political hypocrisy is to claim to have a politics without hypocrisy. Political Hypocrisy is a timely, and timeless, book on the problems of sincerity and truth in politics, and how we can deal with them without slipping into hypocrisy ourselves. Runciman tackles the problems through lessons drawn from some of the great truth-tellers in modern political thought--Hobbes, Mandeville, Jefferson, Bentham, Sidgwick, and Orwell--and applies his ideas to different kinds of hypocritical politicians from Oliver Cromwell to Hillary Clinton.
Runciman argues that we should accept hypocrisy as a fact of politics, but without resigning ourselves to it, let alone cynically embracing it. We should stop trying to eliminate every form of hypocrisy, and we should stop vainly searching for ideally authentic politicians. Instead, we should try to distinguish between harmless and harmful hypocrisies and should worry only about its most damaging varieties.
Written in a lively style, this book will change how we look at political hypocrisy and how we answer some basic questions about politics: What are the limits of truthfulness in politics? And when, where, and how should we expect our politicians to be honest with us, and about what?
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First Sentence
This is a book about hypocritical politicians, and about some of the ways we might learn to view them. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
This is a book about hypocritical politicians, and about some of the ways we might learn to view them. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book by David Runciman covers the philosophical thinking about political hypocrisy, both British and American, from the 1600s to the modern day. He refers extensively to the thinking of Hobbes, de Mandeville, Bentham, Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Orwell, and such like. Essentially he concludes that for a democracy to work the leaders have to be hypocrites in one way or another, and if you want to cut to the chase for current examples go straight to the final chapter with references to Blair and Bush. In fact reading this chapter alone, which is easy to follow, will allow you to understand his argument without having to read the historical perspective which for the lay reader is a bit laboured and not easy to digest.
Alternatively wait for a soft-back edition or get it from your library.
Alternatively wait for a soft-back edition or get it from your library.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book describes the thoughts of primarily English writers about hypocrisy in politics. One idea all share including the author is that the name of the game of politics is hypocrisy. Those politicians that claim to be sincere or think they are sincere are hypocrites like those that are aware they are hypocrites. Hypocrisy is on purpose not defined in the book, as it exists in so many varieties. Some worse than others.
Hypocrisy according to the book is kind of acting. Or wearing a mask. I think everybody is acting. When you meet a baby, your mother or your boss you act differently. You try to make the baby laugh and try to please your boss. Nothing special about that.
I agree that it is important try to have a view if a political leader is doing a good job or not. But I doubt that concentrating on determining what type of hypocrite he is will help you very much. It appears to be more practical to follow a Buddhist line of analysis. What is his intention? Is he only interested in himself or also in the citizens? Did he take, can he take, will he take actions that will solve the problems a country faces, and takes initiatives that will improve their well-being. Has he or she surrounded himself with a cabinet of competent ministers that are not just yes-men?
I did learn from the book that you should not pay too much attention to hypocrisy. All people "act". As political leaders are public figures they are watched much more closely, so hypocrisy comes more often to light. I agree with the author that journalists that specialize in hypocrisy of politicians are wasting their readers' time.
The author writes that all people writing book reviews are hypocrites. Before I buy a book I read several reviews and find that helpful. That is why I am writing reviews as I hope that it will help other readers. I must be a hypocrite according to this book but I am not sure I understand why.
Hypocrisy according to the book is kind of acting. Or wearing a mask. I think everybody is acting. When you meet a baby, your mother or your boss you act differently. You try to make the baby laugh and try to please your boss. Nothing special about that.
I agree that it is important try to have a view if a political leader is doing a good job or not. But I doubt that concentrating on determining what type of hypocrite he is will help you very much. It appears to be more practical to follow a Buddhist line of analysis. What is his intention? Is he only interested in himself or also in the citizens? Did he take, can he take, will he take actions that will solve the problems a country faces, and takes initiatives that will improve their well-being. Has he or she surrounded himself with a cabinet of competent ministers that are not just yes-men?
I did learn from the book that you should not pay too much attention to hypocrisy. All people "act". As political leaders are public figures they are watched much more closely, so hypocrisy comes more often to light. I agree with the author that journalists that specialize in hypocrisy of politicians are wasting their readers' time.
The author writes that all people writing book reviews are hypocrites. Before I buy a book I read several reviews and find that helpful. That is why I am writing reviews as I hope that it will help other readers. I must be a hypocrite according to this book but I am not sure I understand why.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
There is more to political leaders than hypocrisy
21 Oct 2009
Format:Hardcover
This book describes the thoughts of primarily English writers about hypocrisy in politics. One idea all share including the author is that the name of the game of politics is hypocrisy. Those politicians that claim to be sincere or think they are sincere are hypocrites like those that are aware they are hypocrites. Hypocrisy is on purpose not defined in the book, as it exists in so many varieties. Some worse than others.
Hypocrisy according to the book is kind of acting. Or wearing a mask. I think everybody is acting. When you meet a baby, your mother or your boss you act differently. You try to make the baby laugh and try to please your boss. Nothing special about that.
I agree that it is important try to have a view if a political leader is doing a good job or not. But I doubt that concentrating on determining what type of hypocrite he is will help you very much. It appears to be more practical to follow a Buddhist line of analysis. What is his intention? Is he only interested in himself or also in the citizens? Did he take, can he take, will he take actions that will solve the problems a country faces, and takes initiatives that will improve their well-being. Has he or she surrounded himself with a cabinet of competent ministers that are not just yes-men?
I did learn from the book that you should not pay too much attention to hypocrisy. All people "act". As political leaders are public figures they are watched much more closely, so hypocrisy comes more often to light. I agree with the author that journalists that specialize in hypocrisy of politicians are wasting their readers' time.
The author writes that all people writing book reviews are hypocrites. Before I buy a book I read several reviews and find that helpful. That is why I am writing reviews as I hope that it will help other readers. I must be a hypocrite according to this book but I am not sure I understand why.
Hypocrisy according to the book is kind of acting. Or wearing a mask. I think everybody is acting. When you meet a baby, your mother or your boss you act differently. You try to make the baby laugh and try to please your boss. Nothing special about that.
I agree that it is important try to have a view if a political leader is doing a good job or not. But I doubt that concentrating on determining what type of hypocrite he is will help you very much. It appears to be more practical to follow a Buddhist line of analysis. What is his intention? Is he only interested in himself or also in the citizens? Did he take, can he take, will he take actions that will solve the problems a country faces, and takes initiatives that will improve their well-being. Has he or she surrounded himself with a cabinet of competent ministers that are not just yes-men?
I did learn from the book that you should not pay too much attention to hypocrisy. All people "act". As political leaders are public figures they are watched much more closely, so hypocrisy comes more often to light. I agree with the author that journalists that specialize in hypocrisy of politicians are wasting their readers' time.
The author writes that all people writing book reviews are hypocrites. Before I buy a book I read several reviews and find that helpful. That is why I am writing reviews as I hope that it will help other readers. I must be a hypocrite according to this book but I am not sure I understand why.
10 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Political Hypocrisy Confounded
14 July 2008
Format:Hardcover
Runciman (Univ. of Cambridge) argues hypocrisy is "inevitable" (p. 1) in liberal democratic theory and practice. Locating the origins of "the idea of hypocrisy" in the theatre and in deceptiveness, the author posits that the political "hypocrite is always putting on an act" (p. 8). Devoting chapters to Hobbes, Mandeville, a troika of figures from the American Founding, Bentham, Victorians, and Orwell, the use of hypocrisy in politics is dissected. The chapters on Hobbes and Mandeville (1 and 2) are brilliant, yet beguiling. The chapter on the American Founding, generally, and Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams, specifically (3), suffers from serious interpretative flaws. By reducing the American Founding to a duplicitous phenomenon because of the existence of slavery undermines the internal logic of the author's central thesis, and results in an unfair, nay hypocritical, treatment of American politics and experience. While written in a lucid and engaging style, the book fails to recover the importance of political hypocrisy in a comprehensive manner. If politics is grounded in the moral and rational nature of humankind, it cannot simply be consigned to the author's selecting of the "right hypocrite" (p. 213).
H. Lee Cheek, Jr., Ph.D.
Chair, Social Sciences
Brewton-Parker College
[....]
H. Lee Cheek, Jr., Ph.D.
Chair, Social Sciences
Brewton-Parker College
[....]
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