Book Review: David Miller, Strangers in Our Midst: The Political Philosophy of Immigration
| Date | 01 November 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929917716897 |
| Author | Matteo Bonotti |
| Published date | 01 November 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsPolitical Theory |
718674PSW15410.1177/1478929917718674Political Studies ReviewBook Reviews
book-review2017
Book Reviews
Political Studies Review
2017, Vol. 15(4) 601 –686
Book Reviews
journals.sagepub.com/home/psrev
Political Theory
Radicals, Revolutionaries and Terrorists
terror, which is a controversial claim, espe-
by Colin J Beck. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2015.
cially given the historical role of state terror in
203pp., £15.99 (p/b), ISBN 9780745662121
the history of radicalism. This is not an unfor-
givable oversight, but it is symptomatic of the
By posing eight questions about how we con-
challenge of finding definitions for the key
ceptualise radicalism, Colin J. Beck attempts
terms of this topic. All things considered, the
to bring some clarity to an often abstruse topic.
central conceptions that drive this work are
This book is divided into two parts. The first of
plausible and well thought out, even if the
which provides an accessible ‘state of the lit-
reader disagrees with them.
erature’ review of radicalism, revolutions and
If Beck’s aim was to present a lucid intro-
terrorism. These chapters will be of great use
duction to the sociology of radicalism and polit-
for those unfamiliar with the political sociol-
ical violence, then he has succeeded. The book
ogy of radicalism and is made accessible by
is well written and compelling. Its most note-
numerous historical examples.
worthy contribution is that it explodes many of
The book is distinguished by a pronounced
the popular conceptions of who radicals are and
scepticism regarding psychological theories
how they came to engage in extremism.
of what causes radicalisation; the portrait of
Gwilym David Blunt
the radical as outcast or lunatic is heavily and
(University of Cambridge)
effectively criticised. Instead, Beck makes a
compelling argument that appeals to the com-
© The Author(s) 2017
plex interdependence of agency and social
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