Response to Kevin Olson’s review of A Democratic Bearing: Admirable Citizens, Uneven Justice, and Critical Theory

Thanks to Kevin Olson for a thoughtful exchange. One issue that interests us both is the relationship between what might be called “idealizing” and more “realistic” political theory. Often discussions of this revolve around straw men. But there is a significant concern here worth teasing out. I thin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Perspectives on politics 2019-03, Vol.17 (1), p.194-194
Main Author: White, Stephen K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citizens
Critical Dialogue
Critical theory
Justice
Men
Political theory
Power
Teasing
Theory
Trust
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Summary:Thanks to Kevin Olson for a thoughtful exchange. One issue that interests us both is the relationship between what might be called “idealizing” and more “realistic” political theory. Often discussions of this revolve around straw men. But there is a significant concern here worth teasing out. I think Olson and I agree somewhat on this topic but also are at least partially at odds. In my book, I contrast the ethos of the “virtual patriot” of the contemporary American right with a more “democratic ethos,” which I associate with a heavily revised Habermasian framework. Olson sees my elucidation of the latter position as reflective of idealizing political theory, contending that my orientation departs too strongly from a realistic, “immanent and interpretive” approach.
ISSN:1537-5927
1541-0986
DOI:10.1017/S1537592718004541