Language and politics / edited by Michael J. Shapiro

For an understanding of political theory it is necessary first to understand the language in which it is construed. This wide-ranging collection examines both the language of politics and the politics of language to sharpen the reader's awareness of the implicit political statements contained in everyday language and emphasize the increasing importance of establishing a medium suitable for political discussion.

Michael Shapiro's introduction paves the way for a selection of ten major contributions to the field. Essays from C. Wright Mills, Foucault, Connolly, De Man and others confront central issues in the philosophy of language and reveal new connections between Anglo-American and Continental approaches to the subject.

In an area where terms such as post-structuralism', 'semiotics' and phenomenology abound, this balanced introduction will be welcomed by students of politics, philosophy and literary theory indeed all concerned with the complex relationship between politics and language.