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The approaches of Jurgen Habermas & Jean-Francois Lyotard are compared with respect to issues in ethics & the philosophy of law. Though both consider language to be both the pivot of & the means to sociopolitical action & events, they differ in their diagnoses about the pathology of politics & society. Their opinions about language, law, morality, & the role of philosophy, politics, & science are compared, & sketched against the background of their general philosophy. While Habermas is a strong defender of the Enlightenment project & maintains that it is possible to apply philosophical ideas in the interest of democratization & the nonviolent settlement of conflicts, Lyotard's postmodern philosophy is more skeptical, asserting that no metadiscourse can exist in the social world that would allow real mediation & conflict settlement. The paradoxes in Lyotard's "language-ontology" philosophy, of which he is well aware, are explored. 6 References. Modified HA

It is argued that contemporary Marxism is in a crisis from which it is not likely to recover. Nevertheless, discussion of Marxism in the context of contemporary political philosophy is appropriate for two reasons: (1) Marxists set the agenda for current political & philosophical debate; & (2) Marxism has recently, at least in the West, given rise to a new & lively debate about the value of fundamental Marxian notions such as the idea of historical materialism & exploitation by the so-called (& self-styled) "analytical Marxists." The Marxians have undertaken a critical evaluation of Marxist political philosophy & have departed from orthodox Marxism. The analytical Marxists have tried to rephrase & uphold the framework of Karl Marx's political & materialist philosophy or have taken it upon themselves to construct a new Marxist edifice of political philosophy, even to reconstruct the whole Marxist scheme. This analytical Marxism is discussed in detail, along with endeavors by Western Marxists & dissident Marxists in & from Eastern Europe to come to terms with actually existing socialist societies & their basic political tenets. 63 References. Modified HA

Introduces a special journal issue on "Political Theory and Political Philosophy". Adapted from the source document.

Philosophy of science and qualitative research
Philosophy of science and qualitative research
This essay discusses philosophical roots of qualitative research and quality criteria to enhance the plausibility of interpretations resulting from such research.

This article is an intervention into a recent OZP debate on the future of political science as a discipline. Its main goal is to mediate between the respective positions of Ulrich Brand's and Helmut Kramer's conception of a critical project and Thomas Konig's presentation of organisational preliminaries of an academic project of political science. To this end, I firstly reformulate the essentials of a project of critique, referring on a thick notion of critique. Consequently, the relationship of the disciplinary and critical side of political science is rearranged on the basis of an appropriation of certain deliberations on discipline formation and philosophy of science, which centrally draw on the philosophy of Critical Realism. Adapted from the source document.

In this issue of Res Publica, a status given to developments in the subdisciplines of political philosophy and political theory, in which many academics study politics in an empirical way. In this symposium, we talk about how empirical political scientists compare normative issues. Adapted from the source document.

Review
Review
In this contribution the author reviews An introduction to the philosophy of methodology by K.E. Howell.

The consistency between Karl Popper's political theory & his philosophy is analyzed based on a comparison of his anti-utopianism in The Open Society and Its Enemies. Vol. I, Plato (London, 1986) & The Poverty of Historicism (London, 1960). The dependence of his model of the open society on his special understanding of deontological liberalism is discussed, with special attention to his weak rebuttal to the counterarguments of utopianists. M. Meeks

Actor Network Theory: philosophy and research method applied in research about best practices in long-term care
Actor Network Theory: philosophy and research method applied in research about best practices in long-term care
This article describes the methodological consequences of using Actor Network Theory in the authors' research which aimed to study the acting of best practices in long-term care practices. Doing ANT analysis requires the understanding of ANT key concepts which draw on an alternative ontology about reality and sociological acting. The unit of analysis of ANT focuses upon interactions between actors (human and non-human). The analysis traces and reconstructs interaction processes. ANT requires in-depth research which can be achieved by document analysis, interviews and observations. In addition it is recommended by the authors to investigate time in getting to know the everyday practices, habits and frequently used devices at the research site.

The state of Dutch political thought in the seventeenth century is reviewed. Three main approaches are discussed: (1) The critical approach is represented by P. de la Court, who, influenced by Hobbes, defended a more democratic type of government. (2) The historical-philological movement, represented by J. Lipsius, Boxhornius, & Burgersdijk, was based on Aristotelian metaphysical concepts to develop a more systematic base for historical research. This movement influenced the development of the typical research style of the political sciences in Germany. (3) B. de Spinoza's passion-reason theory led to an analytical political science, exemplifying the typical method of integrating theory & empirical (historical) information. Modified HA.

Essay, debate and dialogue The rationale behind the book Wetenschapsfilosofie voor kwalitatief onderzoek
Essay, debate and dialogue The rationale behind the book Wetenschapsfilosofie voor kwalitatief onderzoek
Discussion on the role of the philosophy of science for qualitative research on the basis of Wetenschapsfilosofie voor kwalitatief onderzoek (2012, Den Haag: Boom Lemma uitgevers).