One of four titles in Thames & Hudson’s innovative new ‘Big Idea’ series, this book explores and interrogates each form of democracy and questions whether it remains fit for purpose today.

For a generation adjusting painfully to the demands of a modern industrial and commercial society, Asia came to represent an alternative vision of the good life: aesthetically austere, socially aristocratic, and imbued with spirituality. This book addresses the inchoate yearnings of disaffected Westerners.

The renowned work by the English political philosopher examines the structure of society and legitimate government, arguing for a social contract and rule by an absolute sovereign.