The Nature of Political Theory

1 An Eclectic Subject --
Foundations --
Theory and Politics --
Pattern of the Book --
PART ONE --
2 We Have a Firm Foundation --
Classical Normative Political Theory --
Institutional Political Theory --
Historical Political Theory --
Empirical Political Theory --
Ideological Political Theory --
Conclusion --
PART TWO --
3 Foundations Shaken but Not Stirred --
Logical Positivism --
Ordinary Language --
A Digression on Death and Putrefaction --
Wittgenstein and Essential Contestability --
A Reckoning with Essential Contestability Conclusion4 Bleached Foundations --
The Concept of Justice --
Conceptions of Justice --
Procedural Theories --
Social Justice: Desert and Non-Desert --
Justice and Mutual Advantage --
Justice and Utility --
Justice as Impartiality --
Sexual Justice --
Spheres of Justice --
Conclusion --
PART THREE --
5 Shoring Up Foundations --
Conventions --
Oakeshott and Conventionalism --
Communitarianism --
Political Liberalism --
Conclusion --
6 New Conventions for Old --
Nationalism --
Neo-Aristotelianism --
Republicanism --
Conclusion --
PART FOUR 7 Segmented Foundations and PluralismA Word about Pluralism --
Liberal Pluralism --
Multicultural Pluralism --
Difference Pluralism --
Conclusion --
8 Standing Problems --
Nietzsche and the Twilight of the Idols --
Heidegger and Humanism --
Derrida and Foucault --
Rorty and Connolly --
Lyotard and the Differend --
Conclusion --
PART FIVE --
9 Dialogic Foundations --
The Philosophical Context --
Critical Theory --
Critical Theory Fulfilled --
Positivism and Knowledge Spheres --
The Critique of Foundationalism and the Subject Universal Pragmatics and FallibilismDiscourse Ethics and Deliberative Democracy --
Conclusion --
10 Circular Foundations --
The Hermeneutic Context --
Language, History, and Prejudice --
Enlightenment and Positivism --
Dialogue and Fusion --
Ethics and Politics --
A Dialogic Confiict --
Conclusion --