The Cambridge Companion to Oakeshott

A systematic and accessible presentation of the ideas of one of the leading British philosophers of the 20th century.

Michael Oakeshott (1901–1990) was one of the leading British philosophers of the twentieth century. He has been influential particularly as a political philosopher, but his work reflects a range of philosophical interests that have more gradually come to be appreciated. In this volume a broad group of scholars offers a comprehensive overview of Oakeshott's philosophy, including his moral and political philosophy, his philosophy of history, science and aesthetics, and his views on the role of education. They analyse Oakeshott's ideas in different intellectual contexts and assess his overall contribution to twentieth-century thought. Accessible and rich with new scholarly material, this volume will be an excellent guide for students and scholars alike.

Introduction Efraim Podoksik; Part I. Oakeshott's Philosophy: 1. Oakeshott as philosopher James Alexander; 2. Worlds of experience: history Luke O'Sullivan; 3. Worlds of experience: science Byron Kaldis; 4. Worlds of experience: aesthetics Elizabeth Corey; 5. Education as conversation Kevin Williams; Part II. Oakeshott on Morality, Society and Politics: 6. Practical life and the critique of rationalism Steven Smith; 7. Oakeshott's ideological politics: conservative or liberal? Andrew Gamble; 8. Rhetoric and political language Terry Nardin; 9. Oakeshott's On Human Conduct Paige Digeser and Richard Flathman; 10. Oakeshott's political theory: recapitulation and criticisms Williams A. Galston; Part III. Oakeshott and Others: 11. Oakeshott in the context of British Idealism David Boucher; 12. Oakeshott in the context of German Idealism Efraim Podoksik; 13. Oakeshott's contribution to Hobbes scholarship Ian Tregenza; 14. Oakeshott and the Cold-War critique of political rationalism Dana Villa; Bibliography; Index.

This volume presents the main aspects of Oakeshott's philosophy in an accessible way and is rich with new scholarly material. Of interest to graduate students and academic researchers of philosophy; political theory; philosophy of history, science and education; and aesthetics.

Efraim Podoksik is Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is author of In Defence of Modernity: Vision and Philosophy of Michael Oakeshott (2003).