Defining Statesmanship: A Comparative Political Theory Analysis

(Hardback)

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Statesmanship is a concept frequently invoked but seldom defined in contemporary political discourse. In this book, Clyde Ray examines ancient, medieval, and modern versions of the idea by considering a range of thinkers that have given thought to the concept. From Plutarch to Saint Augustine to Jane Addams, Ray provides fresh insight on the topic by identifying the core features of effective political leadership. More than a historical analysis, these case studies in statesmanship provide citizens today with a vocabulary for identifying and debating the characteristics of this time-honored but often obscure term. In a time when many citizens long for more dignified leadership, Defining Statesmanship offers a timely reflection on this timeless political idea.

Reviews

"In this judicious volume Clyde Ray draws upon the discernment of statesmen, ancient and modern, to craft a series of signposts that may help leaders receptive to such wisdom to negotiate the tangled thickets of domestic life and international affairs in our time and for all time. His profound insights into the necessity of statesmanship are urgent - and eternal."
"The perennial problem of statesmanship has rarely been as much on the forefront of everyday political discourse as it is today. Clyde Ray provides a philosophically adept discussion of various options in the classical, Christian, and modern traditions of statesmanship. Plumbing the depths of some of the greatest works on statesmanship, Ray's book is cogent and accessible while being eminently erudite. This book needs to be read--and pondered--by citizens, activists, and statesmen alike. Politicians will learn what virtues to embody and citizens what elements to value."
"While there may be an inherent tension between constitutionalism and statesmanship, in historical reality the two cannot do without one another. There will always be a need for fresh vision and initiative coming from outside the routine operation of the system. But no statesman can be trusted to rule wisely without the institutional checks and guard rails that a good constitution provides. There is no abstract formula for statesmanship; it always depends on the particular circumstances with which the statesman must wrestle. Hence the wisdom of Clyde Ray's taut and nicely focused study, which understands that the study of statesmanship must always be grounded, as this book is, in the ideas and deeds of actual statesmen. Yet it also takes into account the fact that precedent is not everything, and that the next generation of statesmen and women may represent something entirely new, something we have never seen before. Such is the nature of this fascinating beast."

Author Bio

Clyde Ray is visiting instructor at Rosemont College.