本文純為對史培金斯所著《了解政治理論》一書之忠實性而非批判性介紹，介紹的主要內容為史氏審視傳統經典政治理論形成的動態歷程所用的架構。該架構包括四個階段：第一階段為傳統經典政治理論家對政治混亂失序的危機意識；第二階段為他們對政治問題或病情的診斷；第三階段為他們重建規範性政治秩序的想像；第四階段為他們解決政治問題所建議的方案。 本文雖然最後曾提及史培金斯本人對其所用架構的價值的自我肯定，但是本文之介紹該架構，主要並非基於此種考慮；而是有鑒於該架構對連接傳統經典政治理論形成的起點與終點的動態過程所作的分析，在眾多介紹傳統經典政治理論的著作中，與眾不同，獨樹一幟，極富開創性，值得關心傳統經典政治理論的人的密切注意。

This research note is an attempt to introduce faithfully, not critically, a book by the name of Understanding Political Theory written by Thomas A. Spragens, Jr. The main content of this introduction is the framework by which Spragens examines the dynamic process of the formation of traditional and classical political theory. Spragens' dynamic framework includes four stages. Its first stage is traditional and classical political theorists' perception of the crisis in current political disorder. Its second stage is his diagnosis of the symptoms and the causes of the political problem or disease. Its third stage is his imagination of reconstructing a new normative political order. Its fourth stage is his prescriptive recommendation for solving political problems. Although this research note mentions what Spragens himself regards as the virtues and uses of his framework, it introduces the framework not primarily for this sake, but for the sake of its connection of the starting point and the final point of the dynamic process of the formation of traditional and classical political theory. Spragens' analysis in this respect is unignely creative among all interpretations of traditional and classical political theory and therefore, is worthy of close attention of those who are concerned with that kind of theory.

湯瑪士史培金斯;傳統經典政治理論;了解政治的理論架構;理論形成的動態歷程;政治問題;政治失序;政治危機;政治家的危機意識;精神或心理治療;理論家的診斷病情;主觀的客觀化;感情轉移;感情替代;政治秩序;理論家的想像;烏托邦;政治規範;政治行動方案;實然與應然之間關係的爭論;敘述事實與建議行動之間的關係;真實的原則;人類的自然衝動;影響合理政治行動的因素;形成政治類似演電影的比喻;理論家類似偵探的比喻;政治眼光

Thomas A. Sprangens; Traditional and classical Political Theory; A Framework to Understand Politics; A Dynamic Process of Theory-formation; Political Problem; Political Disorder; Political Crisis; Theorist's Perception of crisis; Psychological Therapy; Theorist's Diagnosis; Psychological Projection; Psychological Transference; Psychological Displacement; Political order; Theorist’s Imagination; Utopia; Political Norm; Presumption for Political Action; Controversy concerning the Relationship between Is and Ought; The Relationship between Describing Fact and Prescribing Action; the Reality Principle; the Force of Natural Human Impulse; Factors Affecting Rational Political Action; The Analogy of Theory-Formation to Moving Picture; The Analogy of Theorist to Detective; Political Vision