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It is important that discussions of 'political correctness' within the discipline of political studies should not just replicate the crude conceptions of both 'politics' and 'correctness' that characterise the disputes that are gathered under that name. As a properly political phenomenon, 'political correctness' calls for careful and critical discussion by political scientists In this paper, the conceptualisations of 'politics' and 'correctness' in these disputes are examined In addition, the idea and practice of 'cultural' or 'discursive' politics is discussed, and the connection with disputes about the academic curriculum is examined.

Examines the conceptualizations of politics & correctness in discussions of political correctness. It is argued that these discussions can illuminate the study of political struggle & models of political process. The idea & practice of cultural or discursive politics are discussed, & the connection with disputes about the academic curriculum is considered. 19 References. Adapted from the source document.

The concept 'community' is underspecified in the political theory literature – it must have a more specific reference than just some collectivity or some network of social relations. But attempts to specify what is specific about the relation of community are unsatisfactory. And references to 'actual physical' communities overlook the symbolic and imagined aspects of community, which furthermore destabilise putative communities as much as they stabilise them. Analysis of social relations and networks, and theories of what patterns of relations are conducive to human flourishing should deploy more precise sociological categories.

In response to a criticism by Toby Lowe (1996) of the authors' 1994 article "Blind Alleys: Communitarianism" (see abstracts 9712306 & 9712315]), it is suggested that the concept community is underspecified in the political theory literature -- it must have a more specific reference than just some collectivity or network of social relations. But attempts to identify what is specific about the relations of community are unsatisfactory. Additionally, references to actual physical community overlook its symbolic & imagined aspects, which destabilize putative communities as much as they stabilize them. Analysis of social relations & networks, & theories of what patterns of relations are conducive to human flourishing, should deploy more precise sociological categories. 7 References. Adapted from the source document.

This paper is a critical discussion of a number of related themes in John Rawls' Political Liberalism. First, it considers whether Rawls' recent statement of his position proceeds from an adequate methodology for political theory. In particular, it questions whether Rawls has succeeded in accommodating both universalist, analytic and particularist, interpretive aspects of the political theoretical enterprise. Second, it engages in critical analysis of the conceptions of the political and the public which lie at the core of Rawls' theory. In this part of the paper, an important though not exclusive focus will be certain questions raised by Susan Moller Okin and other feminist critics of Rawls about the internal consistency of his conception of justice. It is argued that Political Liberalism neither addresses these questions explicitly nor, contrary to Okin's view, provides implicit conceptual tools which could allow a sympathetic interpreter of Rawls to do so. The direction of the argument will suggest certain preconditions for the development of a more substantively and methodologically adequate approach to political theory.

This article presents 'Communitarianism' in political theory as a 'Blind Alley'. This is on the grounds that it is difficult to find a political theorist who is willing to be called a communitarian, because the literature lacks any well delineated concept of community, and because a number of awkward theoretical questions, notably about power, arise which are not clearly addressed within the literature. Furthermore, communitarianism has been a blind alley for feminists. Although feminism and so-called communitarianism share an opposition to some other varieties of social and political theory, the apparent affinities between feminism and communitarianism mask significant differences.

Argues that communitarianism in political theory represents a "blind alley," based on the grounds that it is difficult to find a political theorist who is willing to be called a communitarian, because the literature lacks any well-delineated concept of community, & because a number of awkward theoretical questions, notably about power, arise that are not clearly addressed. Communitarianism has also been a blind alley for feminists. Although feminism & so-called communitarianism share an opposition to some other varieties of social & political theory, the apparent affinities between them mask significant differences. 30 References. Adapted from the source document.