Abstract

The state is analysed successively in terms of three fundamental aspects: "might," "power," and "authority." The first consists of interpretations of Thrasymachus, modern doctrines of Machtstaat, class struggle, and power elites. The perspective of "power" is the domain of legal theory, whereas that of "authority" is proper to ethics. d'Entrèves is concerned about the distortion of the reality of the state that would result from paying exclusive attention to only one or two of the three conceptions. Very well structured, the book combines clear analysis and argument with support from the history of political thought.--W. L. M.