Abstract
M.A. (Philosophy)
In this essay, I draw attention to the negative political effects
of contemporary political theory's flight from particularity, and
suggest a way of reducing these problems. My argument is
structured as follows. Firstly, I draw attention to the
increasing tendency to neglect the intermediary role of political
theory, and trace this to the influence of positivist
philosophies of science, and more particularly to the ways in
which this influence has found expression' in the abstract,
systematic structure and disengaged orientation of the conception
of theory which predominates in contemporary political theory.
I argue further, that two negative political effects are
encouraged by these structural features of theory: firstly, the
abstraction and system of theory encourages an exaggeration of the systematic character of political situations, which in turn
results in a diminution of options for change and critique;
secondly, the disengaged stance and privileged cognitive status
of theory tends to encourage a manipulative political practice.
Thus, where political theory's goal is to inform and inspire
transformative action, its form or structure tends to undermine
this aim. In the second section of this essay, I qualify and
specify the above thesis concerning the alienation of
contemporary political theory, by assessing the value of Bruce
Ackerman's theory of justice as a guide to political action. In
the final section, I propose a deliberate retrieval of the
narrative dimension of. political theory as a useful way of
reducing the alienation of contemporary political theory, showing
firstly, how narrative can be related to theory, and secondly,
how it can moderate theory's abstract and systematic tendencies
without losing critical force.