Politics and the Concept of the Political : The Political Imagination

A recent trend in contemporary western political theory is to criticize it for implicitly trying to "conquer," "displace" or "moralize" politics. James Wiley’s book takes the "next step," from criticizing contemporary political theory, to showing what a more "politics-centered" political theory would look like by exploring the meaning and value of politics in the writings of Max Weber, Carl Schmitt, Paul Ricoeur, Hannah Arendt, Sheldon Wolin, Claude Lefort, and Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe. These political theorists all use the concept of "the political" to explain the value of politics and defend it from its detractors. They represent state-centered, republic-centered and society-centered conceptions of politics, as well as realist, authoritarian, idealist, republican, populist and radical democratic traditions of political thought. This book compares these theorists and traditions of "the political" in order to defend politics from its critics and to contribute to the development of a politics-centered political theory. Politics and the Concept of the Political will be a useful resource to general audiences as well as to specialists in political theory. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents 1. The Status of Politics and the Political I The concept of the political II The political and political theory III Previous theories of the political and the “original position” of politics IV Outline of the book Notes PART 1: The State 2. Realism: Weberx I Politics, economics, and ethics II Science, philosophy, and politics III Realism and political theory Notes 3. Absolutism, Fascism, and Authoritarianism: Schmitt I The political against ethics, economics, and liberalism II Theology and politics III Realism, authoritarianism, and social conservatism Notes 4. Idealism: Ricoeur I The ideal of the political and the reality of politics II Religion, ethics, and politics III Idealism in politics Notes PART 2: The Polis 5. Public and Private, Self and World: Arendt I The political against the state and society II Philosophy and the political III Republicanism, citizenship, and public life Notes 6. The Social, the Political, and Democracy: Wolin I The social and the political II Theory and the political III Populism, economics, and culture Notes PART 3: Society 7. Economics, Culture, and the Political: Lefort, Laclau, and Mouffe I Lefort: the political against Marxism and philosophy II Laclau and Mouffe: the political against essentialism III Ontology and politics IV Ideology, strategy, and organization Notes 8. Theories of the Political, Political Theory, and Politics I The political imagination II Theories of the political and political theory III Theories of the political and politics Note Bibliography Index A recent trend in contemporary western political theory is to criticize it for implicitly trying to "conquer," "displace" or "moralize" politics. James Wiley's book takes the "next step," from criticizing contemporary political theory, to showing what a more "politics-centered" political theory would look like by exploring the meaning and value of politics in the writings of Max Weber, Carl Schmitt, Paul Ricoeur, Hannah Arendt, Sheldon Wolin, Claude Lefort, and Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe. These political theorists all use the concept of "the political" to explain the value of politics and defend it from its detractors. They represent state-centered, republic-centered and society-centered conceptions of politics, as well as realist, authoritarian, idealist, republican, populist and radical democratic traditions of political thought. This book compares these theorists and traditions of "the political" in order to defend politics from its critics and to contribute to the development of a politics-centered political theory. --Publisher description The Status Of Politics And The Political -- Realism : Weber -- Absolutism, Fascism And Authoritarianism : Schmitt -- Idealism : Ricoeur -- Public And Private, Self And World : Arendt -- The Social, The Political And Democracy : Wolin -- Economics, Culture And The Political : Lefort, Laclau And Mouffe -- Theories Of The Political, Political Theory And Politics. James Wiley. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. What is the meaning and value of politics? James Wiley takes the "next step," from criticizing political theory, to showing what a more "politics-centered" political theory might look like.