Abstract:This article contrasts the sense in which those whom Bernard Williams called ‘political realists’ and John Rawls are committed to the idea that political philosophy has to be distinctively political. Distinguishing the realist critique of political moralism from debates over ideal and non‐ideal theory, it is argued that Rawls is more realist than many realists realise, and that realists can learn more about how to make a distinctively political vision of how our life together should be organised from his theor… Show more
“…Or think of the luck egalitarianism, espoused by many contemporary political philosophers: roughly put, normative political principles of distributive justice are derived from pre‐political commitments about the importance of moral responsibility. Whether Rawls also adopted a moralist approach is debatable (Gledhill, ; Jubb, ; Thomas, ). Nozick, on the other hand, articulated his moralism most explicitly: Moral philosophy sets the background for, and the boundaries of, political philosophy.…”
“…Or think of the luck egalitarianism, espoused by many contemporary political philosophers: roughly put, normative political principles of distributive justice are derived from pre‐political commitments about the importance of moral responsibility. Whether Rawls also adopted a moralist approach is debatable (Gledhill, ; Jubb, ; Thomas, ). Nozick, on the other hand, articulated his moralism most explicitly: Moral philosophy sets the background for, and the boundaries of, political philosophy.…”
“…Some commentators argue that the critical theory principle harbours moral commitments that take Williams too close to the mainstream approach he wants to reject insofar as it may implicitly invoke a moralised ideal of political consensus (Sleat ) – another issue which turns largely on whether distinctly political norms can be extracted from the very concept of politics (cf. Hall ; Jubb forthcoming‐a). And there remains a question as to exactly what constitutes forced acceptance, a concern exemplified by the fact that some realists insist that politics is the process through which agreement is forged, hence all political order must be an ‘artefact’ of politics itself and will necessitate some degree of coercion (Stears ).…”
Section: Realist Themesmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…As with the critical theory principle, this aspect of Williams' position has also attracted charges of covert moralism (Bavister‐Gould ) or at least of excessive focus on something akin to consensus (Sleat ; Jubb forthcoming‐a; but cf. Hall ).…”
Section: Realist Themesmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Geuss ), that realism is inherently antithetical to liberalism. Yet there are some, including those who are sympathetic to realism, who have offered readings of Rawls' later work which emphasises its realistic credentials (Gledhill ; Jubb forthcoming‐a; Rossi ), and the extent to which Rawls and his followers are guilty of the numerous moralist/idealist sins remains a matter of debate. Furthermore, liberalism is a diverse and complex tradition, and many contemporary realists have themselves been attracted to certain variations of liberal theory that are interpreted as more in keeping with the concerns of realism.…”
Section: The Politics Of Political Realismmentioning
This paper provides a critical overview of the realist current in contemporary political philosophy. We define political realism on the basis of its attempt to give varying degrees of autonomy to politics as a sphere of human activity, in large part through its exploration of the sources of normativity appropriate for the political, and so distinguish sharply between political realism and non-ideal theory. We then identify and discuss four key arguments advanced by political realists: from ideology, from the relationship of ethics to politics, from the priority of legitimacy over justice, and from the nature of political judgment. Next, we ask to what extent realism is a methodological approach as opposed to a substantive political position, and so discuss the relationship between realism and a few such positions. We close by pointing out the links between contemporary realism and the realist strand that runs through much of the history of Western political thought.Much contemporary Anglo-American political philosophy operates as a branch of applied ethics: normative political theory is supposed to implement moral commitments external to politics, be they teleological ideals or deontological constraints. However in recent years-under the loose label of 'political realism'-an alternative approach has emerged, or perhaps reemerged (Galston 2010; Runciman 2012). Crudely, realists maintain that political philosophy should not seek to regiment politics through morality; rather, it should theorise about the distinctive forces that shape real politics. Critics of realism see this move as a capitulation of normative theory in favour of descriptive approaches to politics. Realists see it as a way to make political philosophy more relevant and less ideological.This article has two main objectives and as many main sections. First, we propose a working definition of realism, and a critical overview of what we take to be the four key arguments in favour of that position. Second, we explore the status of realist theory: is it best characterised as a series of methodological concerns or does it represent a substantive political position it is own right? In the brief conclusion we discuss to what extent realism is (or could be) a new development rather than a revival of a traditional current of political thinking.
“…Neither does such a suggestion presuppose an end to conflict (Rawls 1996, xviii-xix and 54-8). Instead we might interpret Rawls along the lines suggested by Williams's distinction between politics and domination (Jubb 2015); attending to the way that political disagreements presuppose the renunciation of domination may make such disagreements more amenable to resolution.…”
Section: An Effectively Utopian Orientation?mentioning
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