Political Philosophy Versus History? : Contextualism and Real Politics in Contemporary Political Thought

Is The Way In Which Political Philosophy Is Conducted Today Too Ahistorical? Does Such Ahistoricism Render Political Philosophy Too Abstract? Is Political Philosophy Thus Incapable Of Dealing With The Realities Of Political Life? This Volume Brings Together Some Of The World's Leading Political Philosophers To Address These Crucial Questions. The Contributors Focus Especially On Political Philosophy's Pretensions To Universality And On Its Strained Relationship With The World Of Real Politics. Some Chapters Argue That Political Philosophers Should Not Be Cowed By The Accusations Levied Against Them From Outside Of Their Own Field. Others Insist That These Accusations Require A Dramatic Reshaping Of Normative Political Thought. The Volume Will Spark Controversy Across Political Philosophy And Beyond-- In This Volume We Carve Out A New Approach To The Identity Of Political Philosophy By Exploring A Problem That Is Central To Such Disciplinary Soul-searching: The Problem Of Political Philosophy's Relationship With History. We Do This In Part Because, According To Whether They Describe Their Approach To Political Philosophy As Analytic, Continental, Rawlsian, Post-rawlsian, Pluralist, Realist, Post-structural, Or Indeed, Outright Historical, Political Philosophers Of Different Stripes Tend, Amongst Other Things, To Hold Very Different Positions On This Relationship, And That Is A Very Curious Pattern. We Also Do It Because, As Evinced By The Following Chapters, Reflecting Upon The Significance Of History For Political Philosophy Soon Leads To A Host Of New Insights About The Nature Of Our Subject-- Introduction / Jonathan Floyd And Marc Stears -- Part I. The Challenge Of Contextualism: 1. Rescuing Political Theory From The Tyranny Of History / Paul Kelly; 2. From Historical Contextualism, To Mentalism, To Behaviourism / Jonathan Floyd; 3. Contingency And Judgement In History Of Political Philosophy: A Phenomenological Approach / Bruce Haddock; 4. Political Philosophy And The Dead Hand Of Its History / Gordon Graham -- Part Ii. The Challenge Of Realism: 5. Politics, Political Theory, And Its History / Iain Hampsher-monk; 6. Constraint, Freedom, And Exemplar: History And Theory Without Teleology / Melissa Lane; 7. History And Reality: Idealist Pathologies And 'harvard School' Remedies / Andrew Sabl; 8. The New Realism: From Modus Vivendi To Justice / Bonnie Honig And Marc Stears -- Relative Value And Assorted Historical Lessons: An Afterword / Jonathan Floyd. Edited By Jonathan Floyd And Marc Stears. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents......Page 6 Note on the contributors......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 The challenge of universalism......Page 15 The challenge of realism......Page 18 Conclusion......Page 20 Part I: The challenge of contextualism......Page 22 1 Rescuing political theory from the tyranny of history......Page 24 The Collingwoodian paradigm – the problem......Page 26 The critique of historical reductionism in political theory – the solution......Page 33 Political philosophy as a question; political philosophy as a project......Page 49 Historical contextualism as a form of political philosophy......Page 51 The problem with historical contextualism......Page 55 Some clarification regarding targets......Page 57 Two alternative suggestions......Page 59 Mentalism in focus......Page 61 Revisionism and behaviourism considered......Page 66 Some tentative conclusions......Page 73 3 Contingency and judgement in history of political philosophy: a phenomenological approach......Page 76 The Limits of Revisionism......Page 77 The logic of normative argument......Page 79 Thinking, writing, acting......Page 83 Second thoughts......Page 87 History and theory......Page 90 I......Page 95 II......Page 99 III......Page 103 IV......Page 111 Part II The challenge of realism......Page 114 5 Politics, political theory and its history......Page 116 Political practice and rhetoric......Page 123 HPT and PP......Page 127 HPT and politics......Page 129 HPT and PP revisited......Page 133 PP and politics......Page 135 6 Constraint, freedom, and exemplar: history and theory without teleology......Page 139 The nature of normative political theory......Page 142 History as constraint: explanation and normative political theory......Page 147 History as freedom: genealogy and the implications of contingency......Page 150 History as exemplar: classical practices and contemporary analogues......Page 157 Conclusion: an example of the role of examples......Page 160 7 History and reality: idealist pathologies and ‘Harvard School’ remedies......Page 162 Political bridging: between is and ought......Page 165 Against the psychology of system: hope through narrative......Page 171 Political morality: agency, situation, and practical commitments......Page 176 Avoiding the intellectually worst: realism versus speculative fiction......Page 182 Introduction......Page 188 Raymond Geuss: from modus vivendi to legitimacy I......Page 192 Bernard Williams: from modus vivendi to legitimacy II......Page 196 James Tully: from legitimacy to justice I......Page 206 Agonistic realism: from legitimacy to justice II......Page 212 Relative value and the ranking problem......Page 217 Relative value, as distinct from .........Page 222 Relative value and the double-balance......Page 226 Lesson 1 – fool’s gold......Page 230 Lesson 2 – the limits of theory......Page 231 Lesson 3 – political philosophy versus history as a guide to political philosophy versus the rest......Page 233 Lesson 4 – the uncertainty of progress......Page 235 Index......Page 237 Contents 6 Note on the contributors 8 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction 12 The challenge of universalism 15 The challenge of realism 18 Conclusion 20 Part I: The challenge of contextualism 22 1 Rescuing political theory from the tyranny of history 24 The Collingwoodian paradigm – the problem 26 The critique of historical reductionism in political theory – the solution 33 2 From historical contextualism, to mentalism, to behaviourism 49 Political philosophy as a question; political philosophy as a project 49 Historical contextualism as a form of political philosophy 51 The problem with historical contextualism 55 Some clarification regarding targets 57 Two alternative suggestions 59 Mentalism in focus 61 Revisionism and behaviourism considered 66 Some tentative conclusions 73 3 Contingency and judgement in history of political philosophy: a phenomenological approach 76 The Limits of Revisionism 77 The logic of normative argument 79 Thinking, writing, acting 83 Second thoughts 87 History and theory 90 4 Political philosophy and the dead hand of its history 95 I 95 II 99 III 103 IV 111 Part II The challenge of realism 114 5 Politics, political theory and its history 116 Political practice and rhetoric 123 HPT and PP 127 HPT and politics 129 HPT and PP revisited 133 PP and politics 135 6 Constraint, freedom, and exemplar: history and theory without teleology 139 The nature of normative political theory 142 History as constraint: explanation and normative political theory 147 History as freedom: genealogy and the implications of contingency 150 History as exemplar: classical practices and contemporary analogues 157 Conclusion: an example of the role of examples 160 7 History and reality: idealist pathologies and ‘Harvard School’ remedies 162 Political bridging: between is and ought 165 Against the psychology of system: hope through narrative 171 Political morality: agency, situation, and practical commitments 176 Avoiding the intellectually worst: realism versus speculative fiction 182 8 The new realism: from modus vivendi to justice 188 Introduction 188 Raymond Geuss: from modus vivendi to legitimacy I 192 Bernard Williams: from modus vivendi to legitimacy II 196 James Tully: from legitimacy to justice I 206 Agonistic realism: from legitimacy to justice II 212 Relative value and assorted historical lessons: an afterword 217 Relative value and the ranking problem 217 Relative value, as distinct from ... 222 Relative value and the double-balance 226 Further thoughts and assorted historical lessons 230 Lesson 1 – fool’s gold 230 Lesson 2 – the limits of theory 231 Lesson 3 – political philosophy versus history as a guide to political philosophy versus the rest 233 Lesson 4 – the uncertainty of progress 235 Index 237