doctors’ representatives consistently speak of ‘socialised medicine’
(boo!), thus identifying the measure with communism, rather than a
national health service. Roy Hattersley tells the tale of how, as an
apprentice (old) Labour politician, he was once advised that, if in
doubt on an issue at a party meeting, to roundly declare ‘What is
needed on this issue is a truly Socialist policy’, wait for the applause
(hurrah!), and then to change the subject!
Recommended reading
Benn, Stanley I. and Peters, Richard S., 1959, Social Principles and
the Democratic State, London, George Allen and Unwin
An analysis of key concepts in political theory which still repays
careful reading.
Gerth, H. and Mills, C. Wright (eds), 1948, From Max Weber: Essays
in Sociology, London, Routledge & Kegan Paul
One of the classic texts of political sociology which is more read-
able than some more modern writing – for authority, bureaucracy,
Chinese mandarinate, etc.
Raphael, D. D., 1990, Problems of Political Philosophy, 2nd edn,
Basingstoke, Macmillan
Useful standard introductory text – focused on basic concepts.
Thiele, Leslie Paul, 1997, Thinking Politically: Perspectives in
Ancient, Modern and Postmodern Political Theory, Chatham, NJ,
Chatham House
An original and stimulating discussion of the nature of political
theory – a good follow-up to more conventional texts such as
Raphael.
Woodcock, George, 1975, Anarchism, Harmondsworth, Middlesex,
Penguin
Raises some very fundamental questions about the state and
politics.
Woolff, Jonathon, 1996, An Introduction to Political Philosophy,
Oxford, Oxford University Press
An excellent follow-up to this and the next chapter.
CONCEPTS 67