Political Theory

In these 14 lectures Professor Kaplan does a great job of making political theory accessible. He illustrates his points about the ancient Greeks with references to popular movies and popular culture, such as Notre Dame football. His patient, careful explanations demystify a range of great political theorists (Plato, Thucydides, Aristotle, and such contemporary thinkers as de Tocqueville and Marx) without ever oversimplifying. The presentation works well as an introductory overview; listeners more experienced in the field may take issue with Kaplan's choices for inclusion and emphasis. That's a quibble, however; the only real weakness to this course is the overly relaxed style of Kaplan's delivery; his voice rarely seems as excited as his words demand. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine