Books published by Princeton University Press

Democracy is not naturally plausible. Why turn such important matters over to masses of people who have no expertise? Many theories of democracy answer by appealing to the intrinsic value of democratic procedure, leaving aside whether it makes good decisions. In Democratic Authority, David Estlund offers a groundbreaking alternative based on the idea that democratic authority and legitimacy must depend partly on democracy's tendency to make good decisions. Just as with verdicts in jury trials, Estlund argues, the authority and legitimacy of a political decision does not depend on the particular decision being good or correct. But the "e;epistemic value"e; of the procedure--the degree to which it can generally be accepted as tending toward a good decision--is nevertheless crucial. Yet if good decisions were all that mattered, one might wonder why those who know best shouldn't simply rule. Estlund's theory--which he calls "e;epistemic proceduralism"e;--avoids epistocracy, or the rule of those who know. He argues that while some few people probably do know best, this can be used in political justification only if their expertise is acceptable from all reasonable points of view. If we seek the best epistemic arrangement in this respect, it will be recognizably democratic--with laws and policies actually authorized by the people subject to them.

Central to current understandings of medieval history is the concept of political ritual, encompassing events from coronations to funerals, entries into cities, civic games, banquets, hunting, acts of submission or commendation, and more. This book argues that the concept shouldn't be so central after all.

Presents a study which represents an example of an approach to political theory that stresses the importance of authorial intentions and of the political, social, and economic influences that structure a particular political debate. This book also provides historical evidence on the political life of Restoration England.

Re-creates that unhappily memorable story - the arrival of British marines at Murmansk, the diplomatic maneuvering, the growing Russian hostility, the uprising of Czechoslovak troops in central Siberia which threatened to overturn the Bolsheviks, and the acquisitive ambitions of the Japanese in Manchuria.

Examines the rule of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, especially from 1953 to 1979, in the context of his regime's dependence on the United States and his dreams of transforming Iran into a world power. This book argues that, despite the Shah's early achievements, his goals and policies were full of inherent contradictions and weaknesses.

Explores how women who give birth at home use religion to make sense of their births. This book investigates why women whose religious affiliations range from Old Order Amish to Reform Judaism defy the medical establishment, and sometimes the law to have their babies at home. It challenges both feminist and traditionalist accounts of childbearing.

Treating Vergil's poetry as a foundation of Latin European identity, this title seeks to give a complete history of the medieval conception of the preeminent poet.

In ancient Athens, where freedom of speech derived from the power of male citizenship, women's voices were seldom heard in public. Female speech was more often represented in theatrical productions through women characters written and enacted by men. This book studies women's speech in classical drama.

Exploring links between ritual and reading, focusing on commentaries about the seclusion of menstruating women in Native American culture, trance dances in Bali, and circumcision (or lack of it) in contrasting religions, this work considers the ironies of "first-person ethnography" by telling stories from the author's own fieldwork.

At the turn of the twentieth century, William James was America's most widely read philosopher. This title details James' contributions to experimental psychopathology, psychical research, and the psychology of religion.

Guides Western readers in appreciating some of the more elusive aspects of the Chinese tradition of Chan Buddhism and its outgrowth, Japanese Zen. This title focuses on Chan's insistence on 'immediacy' - its denial of all traditional mediations, including scripture, ritual, good works.

Describes how blacks, Africans, and Afro-Americans, deeply influenced white's perceptions, values, and identity, and that although two world views existed, there was a deep symbiotic relatedness that must be explored if we are to understand either or both of them.

"The Golden Ass" tells of a young man changed into an ass by magic. This book follows Apuleius' tale from antiquity through the sixteenth century, tracing its journey from roll to codex in fourth-century Rome, into the medieval library of Monte Cassino, into the hands of Italian humanists, into print, and, finally, over the Alps.

Has globalization the phenomenon outgrown 'globalization' the concept? This book presents a work of vision that addresses the dizzying anxieties of the post-Cold War, post-September 11 world. It analyses just how complex these profound global changes have become.

Reconstructs London's Victorian and Edwardian West End as an entertainment and retail center. This work illuminates the various forces of the period that encouraged and discouraged women's enjoyment of public life and particularly shows how shopping came to be seen as the quintessential leisure activity for middle- and upper-class women.

Re-creates the story of Europe's indigenous people who were nearly stricken from historical memory even as they adopted and transformed aspects of Roman culture. This book shows that these societies did grow more cosmopolitan under Roman occupation, but that the people were much more than passive beneficiaries.

Offers a sampling of Coleridge's encyclopedic marginalia. This book also offers an introduction to Coleridge's life, the intellectual issues and concerns that held his attention, and the workings of his mind. It features brief headnotes that outline Coleridge's circumstances year by year and provide historical information.

A fascinating look at Keith Haring's New York City subway artwork from the 1980sCelebrated artist Keith Haring (1958-1990) has been embraced by popular culture for his signature bold graphic line drawings of figures and forms. Like other graffiti artists in the 1980s, Haring found an empty canvas in the advertising panels scattered throughout New York City's subway system, where he communicated his socially conscious, often humorous messages on platforms and train cars.Over a five-year period, in an epic conquest of civic space, Haring produced a massive body of subway artwork that remains daunting in its scale and its impact on the public consciousness. Dedicated to the individuals who might encounter them and to the moments of their creation, Haring's drawings now exist solely in the form of documentary photographs and legend. Because they were not meant to be permanent-only briefly inhabiting blacked-out advertising boards before being covered up by ads or torn down by authorities or admirers-what little remains of this project is uniquely fugitive. Keith Haring: 31 Subway Drawings reproduces archival materials relating to this magnificent project alongside essays by leading Haring experts.Distributed for No More Rulers

A comprehensive survey of the work of this most influential Florentine artist and teacher Andrea del Verrocchio (c. 1435-1488) was one of the most versatile and inventive artists of the Italian Renaissance. He created art across media, from his spectacular sculptures and paintings to his work in goldsmithing, architecture, and engineering. His expressive, confident drawings provide a key point of contact between sculpture and painting. He led a vibrant workshop where he taught young artists who later became some of the greatest painters of the period, including Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Lorenzo di Credi, and Domenico Ghirlandaio. This beautifully illustrated book presents a comprehensive survey of Verrocchio's art, spanning his entire career and featuring some fifty sculptures, paintings, and drawings, in addition to works he created with his students. Through incisive scholarly essays, in-depth catalog entries, and breathtaking illustrations, this volume draws on the latest research in art history to show why Verrocchio was one of the most innovative and influential of all Florentine artists. Published in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

Scholars in the 'Critical Legal Studies' movement have challenged some of the most cherished ideals of modern Western legal and political thought. This title examines the philosophical underpinnings of the CLS movement and exposes the deficiencies in the major lines of CLS argument against liberalism.

Studies the connections between professional team sports in North America and the places where teams play. This book examines the relationships between major professional team sports - baseball, basketball, football, and hockey - and the cities that attach their names, their hearts, and their increasing amount of tax dollars to big league teams.

Offers an account of the lives of the Jews who remained in Germany immediately following the war. This book analyzes such diverse aspects as liberation from concentration camps, cultural and religious life among the Jewish Displaced Persons, and the complex relationship between East European and German Jews.

Focusing on the decades from the 1930s through the 1960s, the author discusses the scientists, social scientists, philosophers, and historians who fought the Christian biases that had kept Jews from fully participating in American intellectual life. He also explores the long-postponed acceptance of Jewish immigrants in a variety of settings.