Peter Ian Lomas's Books

Unnatural States

The International System and the Power to Change

By: Peter Ian Lomas

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Unnatural States

The International System and the Power to Change

By: Peter Ian Lomas

Unnatural States is a radical critique of international theory, in particular, of the assumption of state agency—that states act in the world in their own right. Peter Lomas argues that since the universal states system is inequitable and rigid, and not all states are democracies anyway, this assumption is unreal, and to adopt it means reinforcing an unjust status quo. Looking at the concepts of state, nation, and agency, Lomas sees populations struggling to find an agreed model of the state, owing to inherited material differences; and unsurprisingly, among theorists of the nation, only controversy and a great confusion of terms. Meanwhile, the functional incarnations of the state agent are caricatures: the mandarin state, the lawyer state, the landlord state, the heir-to-history state, and the patriot state. Yet recent developments in international theory (constructivism, scientific realism, postmodernism) sacrifice state agency only at the price of an unhelpful abstraction. The states system is dysfunctional and obsolete, Lomas contends, and international theory must be recast, with morality as central, to inspire and to guide historic change. He focuses in his conclusion on prescriptions for change, led by four moral concerns: human rights, weapons of mass destruction, relations between rich and poor societies, and the environment. "I begin this book," writes Lomas, "with the commonest commonplace of international theory, to expose it as a meaningless cliche. In the masterly hands of Hobbes, it was elaborated into a shock formula for organized society, a reading of history as civilization's failure. Kant sought to rescue morality from Hobbes and create the structures of modernity, but Kant's influence is coming to an end. In the Cold War, politicians disagreeing over another philosopher almost brought the world to an end. Hence the challenges of our time. These are primary and profound. Philosophers have done much to define the modern world. The point of international theory is to change it.

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Page Count

356

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1351296221

ISBN 13

9781351296229

Geography

Realms, Regions, and Concepts

By: Harm J. de Blij,Peter O. Muller

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Geography

Realms, Regions, and Concepts

By: Harm J. de Blij,Peter O. Muller

Now substantially revised and updated, the Twelfth Edition of de Blij and Muller's Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts continues to deliver the authors' authoritative content, outstanding cartography, currency, and comprehensive coverage, in a technology-rich package. The text reflects major developments in the world as well as in the discipline, ranging from the collapse of Russia's Post-Soviet transformation to the impact of globalization and from the rise of Asia's Pacific Rim to the war in Iraq.

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Page Count

688

Publisher

Wiley

Published Date

ISBN 10

047171786X

ISBN 13

9780471717867

The Guinness book of records

By: Peter Matthews,Michelle Dunkley McCarthy

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The Guinness book of records

By: Peter Matthews,Michelle Dunkley McCarthy

Lists records and statistics related to human beings, animals, science, technology, buildings, transportation, business, arts, entertainment, human achievement, and sports

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320

Published Date

ISBN 10

0816026440

ISBN 13

9780816026449

They Called Him Boy

By: Peter Fenton

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They Called Him Boy

By: Peter Fenton

Andrew 'Boy' Charlton is one of our all-time greatest swimming champions. With a Foreword by Grant Hackett. Andrew 'Boy' Charlton set his first world record as a school boy. He became an Olympic and World Champion in the 1500m swim, and like Grant Hackett, in a number of shorter distances. He medalled in the 1500m in 1924, 1928 and 1932. In between each Olympics he retired and stopped competing to either complete his studies (he was only 16 at his first Olympics), or work as a jackeroo. Only taking up training, if at all, in the months prior to a competition. He loved the ocean more than the pool and was an Australian Surf Champion in 1931/2 and 1934/5. He was, and remains, admired by swimmers and lovers of sport past and present. The son of a bank manager Boy had expected to inherit a farm from his beloved Grandfather. When this dream faded Boy smoothly moved on from the expectation of an inheritance to a life of working for others until he could purchase his own farm near Goulburn. He lived a simple and humble life - interrupted by visits to Paris, London, Amsterdam and Hollywood where he was feted and had a grand old time! There is much to learn from the story of this young man who prepared for his second Olympics - after two and a half years break - by swimming against the current in the Namoi River in northern New South Wales. When Grant Hackett won the fifteen hundred metres freestyle at Athens in 2004 his was the eighth Australian victory in this distance in the past nineteen Olympics. This remarkable tradition began with Andrew 'Boy' Charlton.

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Page Count

292

Publisher

Random House (Australia)

Published Date

ISBN 10

1741665582

ISBN 13

9781741665581

Unnatural States

The International System and the Power to Change

By: Peter Ian Lomas

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Unnatural States

The International System and the Power to Change

By: Peter Ian Lomas

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

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Page Count

356

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1351296221

ISBN 13

9781351296229

Book's by Peter Ian Lomas

Unnatural States

Unnatural States

Geography

Geography

The Guinness book of records

The Guinness book of records

They Called Him Boy

They Called Him Boy

Unnatural States

Unnatural States

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