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Political philosophy seems both impossible to do and impossible to avoid. Impossible to do, because we cannot agree on a single set of political principles. Impossible to avoid, because we're always living with some kind of political system, and thus some set of principles. So, if we can't do the philosophy, but can't escape the politics, what are we to do? Jonathan Floyd argues that the answer lies in political philosophy's deepest methodological commitments. First, he shows how political philosophy is practiced as a kind of 'thinking about thinking'. Second, he unpicks the different types of thought we think about, such as considered judgements, or intuitive responses to moral dilemmas, and assesses whether any are fit for purpose. Third, he offers an alternative approach - 'normative behaviourism' - which holds that rather than studying our thinking, we should study our behaviour. Perhaps, just sometimes, actions speak louder than thoughts

The subdiscipline of political theory and political philosophy continues to suffer some misunderstanding within political science as a whole. Notwithstanding its renaissance in the last decade, political theory/philosophy is still too often characterized in terms that obscure its roles and functions within the discipline. Political theory/philosophy is often referred to as "normative theory" as a way of distinguishing its concerns with values from the "empirical theory" and research of political science proper. Where the concerns of political theory/philosophy are not just normative, political scientists often characterize it as "speculative theory" to distinguish it from "empirical theory" that can be confirmed or refuted by reference to observable data. The terms of such a distinction suggest, of course, that theories grounded in certainties can and ought to replace the speculative approaches of traditional political thought. And because political theory/philosophy relies heavily on the history of political thought, many see it as part of history and the humanities rather than political science—interesting and necessary for any culturally literate person, but fundamentally distinct from contemporary political research.Terminological distinctions such as these solidified in an era in which behavioralist agendas shaped subdisciplinary boundaries, and they reflect the influence that neo-positivist views of explanation once had within the discipline. Since that time, however, we have developed more sophisticated understandings of how theory and philosophy relate to empirical research. These developments have in turn affected the way we understand the explanatory concerns of political science, while also expanding political theory/philosophy beyond its traditional boundaries.

The past 5 yrs have marked a creative period for pol'al philosophy & theory. Pronounced as dead or dying by some observers only a decade or so ago, there has been, more recently, a recognition of a signif renaissance in this age-old tradition of inquiry. Major fi gures doing independent & original work in pol'al philosophy are discussed; then the signif outpouring of studies in the history of pol'al thought is treated. Finally, attention is focused on key works of more immediate relevance to the current crisis of advanced industr society. A concluding section deals with the controversy over the meaning of pol'al philosophy & theory; the author's approach to the problem is indicated. Modified HA.

Call for Applications of Frankfurt University. Deadline: February 29, 2024

The past five years have marked a creative period for political philosophy and theory. Pronounced as dead or dying by some observers only a decade or so ago, there has been, more recently, a recognition of a significant renaissance in this age-old tradition of inquiry. Major figures doing independent and original work in political philosophy are discussed; then the significant outpouring of studies in the history of political thought is treated. Finally, attention is focused on key works of more immediate relevance to the current crisis of advanced industrial society. A concluding section deals with the controversy over the meaning of political philosophy and theory; the author indicates his approach to this problem.

"Evolutionary Social Theory and Political Economy traces the origins, extension, marginalization, and revival of evolutionary approaches to social theory from the Enlightenment through the beginning of the 21st century. It demonstrates how changes in understandings of social evolution corresponded to changes in definitions of Political Economy and how both reflected changes in the Philosophy of Science. The book is written for students and researchers alike in all the social sciences. Economists will benefit from understanding how ideas about evolution in Economics corresponded to ideas about evolution in other social sciences and Social Scientists outside of Economics will benefit from understanding how Economics has related to their discipline"--