This Introduction introduces readers to the concepts of political philosophy: authority, democracy, freedom and its limits, justice, feminism, multiculturalism, and nationality. Accessibly written and assuming no previous knowledge of the subject, it encourages the reader to think clearly and critically about the leading political questions of our time. The book first investigates how politcial philosophy tackles basic ethical questions such as 'how should we live together in society?' It furthermore looks at political authority, discusses the reasons society needs politics in the first place, explores the limitations of politics, and asks if there are areas of life that shouldn't be governed by politics. Moreover, the book explores the connections between political authority and justice, a constant theme in political philosophy, and the ways in which social justice can be used to regulate rather than destroy a market economy. In his travels through this realm, Miller covers why nations are the natural units of government and wonders if the rise of multiculturalism and transnational co-operation will change all this, and asks in the end if we will ever see the formation of a world government.

本导论向读者介绍了政治哲学的概念：权威、民主、自由及其限制、正义、女权主义、多元文化和民族性。本书写得通俗易懂，并假定读者以前没有这方面的知识，它鼓励读者对我们这个时代的主要政治问题进行清晰和批判性的思考。本书首先研究了政治哲学如何解决基本的伦理问题，如 "我们应该如何在社会中共同生活？它还进一步考察了政治权威，讨论了社会首先需要政治的原因，探讨了政治的局限性，并问及生活中是否有一些领域不应该由政治来管理。此外，该书还探讨了政治权威和正义之间的联系，这是政治哲学的一个永恒主题，以及社会正义可以被用来规范而不是破坏市场经济的方式。在这个领域的旅行中，米勒涵盖了为什么国家是政府的自然单位，并想知道多元文化和跨国合作的兴起是否会改变这一切，最后还问道，我们是否会看到一个世界政府的形成。