The Logic of Legitimacy: Ethics in Political Realism

2013 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Jörg Sigwart
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Ethical Theory ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Political Ethics ◽  
Political Realism ◽  
Realist Theory ◽  
The Core ◽  
Recent Debate ◽  
Core Idea ◽  
Realist Perspective

AbstractThe article examines the recent debate on a genuinely realist perspective in political philosophy and argues that the core idea of realism is a certain type of ethical theory. In spite of the notorious polemic against “moralism” in politics that is characteristic of realist thinkers since Machiavelli, political realism as put forth in the current debate is not to be understood as a strictly fact-oriented perspective on politics, but rather as a perspective that itself is founded on a theory of political ethics. This peculiarly realist theory of political ethics can be characterized by its focus on the theoretical importance of political application problems, by a genuine priority principle underlying its understanding of political ethics, by its distinctive understanding of the concept of legitimacy and, finally, by its claim that any form of ethics, as far as it is concerned with political questions, is necessarily ambivalent in character.

scholarly journals A Defense of Nonideal Theories of Justice / Uma Defesa de Teorias de Justiça Não Ideais

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Goya Tocchetto
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
John Rawls ◽  
Moral Systems ◽  
The Core ◽  
Current Prevalence ◽  
Theories Of Justice ◽  
Recent Debate ◽  
Inalienable Rights

Abstract: The overwhelming majority of contemporary theories of justice is grounded in the rationalist tradition (Frazer, 2010). As a consequence, political philosophers such as John Rawls (1971) have interpreted moral systems as axiomatic, substantially based on concepts of inalienable rights and duties—usually guided by the core value attached to human dignity. Once ethicists started working under an axiomatic framework, empirical evidence has become less and less useful. This road has been conducive to the current prevalence of ideal theories in the field. On a dissonant note, recent debate in political philosophy has rekindled our attention to the development of nonideal theories of justice. Yet before one argues in favor of nonideal (or comparative) theories of justice, one has to be certain that all arguments against the broader incorporation of empirical evidence in the development of political philosophical theories are not valid. Therefore the focus of the present paper is the assessment—and dismissal—of these arguments.Keywords: Theories of Justice; Nonideal Theories; Empirical Evidence; MethodologyResumo: A grande maioria das teorias de justiça contemporâneas se baseiam na tradição racionalista (Frazer, 2010). Como consequência, filósofos políticos como John Rawls (1971) têm interpretado sistemas morais como axiomáticos, baseados substancialmente em conceitos de direitos e deveres inalienáveis – geralmente guiados pelo valor central concedido à dignidade humana. Uma vez que os eticistas começaram a utilizar uma moldura axiomática, as evidências empíricas se tornaram cada vez menos úteis. Esse caminho foi relevante para a atual prevalência de teorias ideais nesse campo. De maneira dissonante, o debate recente na filosofia política reacendeu a atenção para o desenvolvimento de teorias de justiça não ideais. Contudo, antes que alguém argumente em favor de teorias de justiça não ideais (ou comparativas), é preciso estar certo de que todos os argumentos contrários a uma incorporação mais ampla de evidências empíricas no desenvolvimento de teorias políticas filosóficas não são válidos. Portanto, o foco deste artigo é a avaliação – e rejeição – destes argumentos.Palavras-chave: Teorias de justiça; Teorias não ideais; Evidência empírica; Metodologia.

Reclaiming the critical dimension of realism: Hans J. Morgenthau on the ethics of scholarship

2008 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
MURIELLE COZETTE
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Critical Dimension ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Great Length ◽  
Founding Father ◽  
Realist Theory ◽  
The Core ◽  
Critical Approaches ◽  
Realist Perspective

AbstractThis article investigates Morgenthau’s views on the ethics of scholarship and argues that all his works should be read in the light of his central goal: speaking truth to power. Doing so demonstrates that for Morgenthau, a realist theory of international politics includes two dimensions: it is supposed to explain international relations, but it is also, fundamentally, a critical project which questions the existing status quo. While the explanatory dimension of realism is debated at great length, its critical dimension is consistently overlooked by the more recent, self-named ‘critical’ approaches which tend to present the two adjectives ‘realist’ and ‘critical’ as mutually exclusive. This amounts to an insidious high-jacking of the very adjective critical, which in most cases merely signals one does not espouse a realist perspective. This is highly problematic as it obscures the fact that for Morgenthau, the founding father of realism, political science is by definition a subversive and revolutionary force critical of the existing order. Highlighting the critical dimension that lies at the core of the realist project as formulated by Morgenthau therefore challenges the current narrow use of the adjective ‘critical’ in the discipline and leads to reclaim it for the realist tradition.

HISTORY AND PATTERN

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Schmidtz
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Natural Rights ◽  
Natural Distribution ◽  
The Core ◽  
Theories Of Justice ◽  
Principles Of Justice ◽  
Core Idea ◽  
The Way

This essay compares Rawls's and Nozick's theories of justice. Nozick thinks patterned principles of justice are false, and offers a historical alternative. Along the way, Nozick accepts Rawls's claim that the natural distribution of talent is morally arbitrary, but denies that there is any short step from this premise to any conclusion that the natural distribution is unjust. Nozick also agrees with Rawls on the core idea of natural rights liberalism: namely, that we are separate persons. However, Rawls and Nozick interpret that idea in different ways-momentously different ways. The tension between their interpretations is among the forces shaping political philosophy to this day.

Einfühlen und Verstehen

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 220-243
Author(s):  
Verena Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Theory ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Theory Theory ◽  
Other Minds ◽  
Recent Debate ◽  
The Many

How do we understand other minds? The current debate uses the iridescent term “empathy” to explain our quite different mindreading capacities. Since no alternatives seemed to be available the discussion has been mostly in a deadlock between “simulation theory” and “theory theory”. Only recently the relevance of phenomenological findings on the issue has been brought forward. In this paper Husserl’s two concepts of “Einfühlung”, as developed in the second volume of his Ideas, are set against the background of the latest discussion. Husserl’s explanation of empathy in terms of analogical experience highlights the transcendental role of empathy in the context of constitution. At the same time it may solve some of the many riddles left by the recent debate.

Sustainable Development is a Dead-End: The Logic of Modernity and Ecological Crisis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Lumsden
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Ecological Sustainability ◽  
Planetary Boundaries ◽  
Western Modernity ◽  
Conceptual Frame ◽  
The Core ◽  
Dead End ◽  
Core Idea

This paper examines the theory of sustainable development presented by Jeffrey Sachs in The Age of Sustainable Development. While Sustainable Development ostensibly seeks to harmonise the conflict between ecological sustainability and human development, the paper argues this is impossible because of the conceptual frame it employs. Rather than allowing for a re-conceptualisation of the human–nature relation, Sustainable Development is simply the latest and possibly last attempt to advance the core idea of western modernity — the notion of self-determination. Drawing upon Hegel’s account of historical development it is argued that Sustainable Development and the notion of planetary boundaries cannot break out of a dualism of nature and self-determining agents.

Systematicity and Normative Justification

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Unique Form ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Normative Justification ◽  
The Way

This chapter examines systematicity as a form of normative justification. Thompson’s contention is that the Hegelian commitment to fundamental presuppositionlessness and hence to methodological immanence, from which his distinctive conception of systematicity flows, is at the core of the unique form of normative justification that he employs in his political philosophy and that this is the only form of such justification that can successfully meet the skeptic’s challenge. Central to Thompson’s account is the distinction between systematicity and representation and the way in which this frames Hegel’s relationship to the traditional forms of justification and the creation of his own distinctive kind of normative argumentation.

From Intuitions to Anarchism?

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Common Sense ◽  
Ethical Theory ◽  
Political Authority ◽  
Individual Rights ◽  
Common View ◽  
Libertarian Theory

AbstractWhen libertarian political philosophy attracted wide public notice in the 1970s, a common view was that the distinctive individual rights advocated in libertarian theory required grounding in a theory of ethics. Recently, this view has come under challenge. It has been argued that resort to such grounding in ethical theory is unneeded. An appeal to common sense intuitions suffices to justify libertarianism. First, a brief account of libertarianism will be presented. Then, some examples of the older, pro-grounding position will be discussed. Then, the principal defense of the newer view, Michael Huemer’s The Problem of Political Authority, will be examined. This discussion constitutes the substance of the present paper. The principal contention of the present article will be that the argument to libertarianism from intuitions does not succeed. In conclusion, it will be suggested that a return to the earlier, grounding view is indicated for philosophers who wish to defend libertarianism.

scholarly journals Analysis of a Japan-Philippines telecollaboration from a social realist perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 96-101
Author(s):  
Sandra Healy ◽  
Yasushi Tsubota ◽  
Olivia Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Educational Policies ◽  
Classroom Setting ◽  
International Context ◽  
Realist Theory ◽  
Linguistic Awareness ◽  
Realist Perspective ◽  
Filipino Teachers

This study applies social realist theory to the analysis of an ongoing online telecollaboration between Japanese undergraduate students in a classroom setting in Japan and Filipino teachers in an English conversation school in Cebu, the Philippines. The accepted goals of telecollaboration in an international context are the development of intercultural communication and linguistic skills. Analysis showed that, without guidance, the influence of Japanese educational policies on students, including a version of internationalisation known as kokusaika, can result in intracultural – rather than intercultural – communication. It is suggested that a focus on “small” – rather than “large” – culture may help address this issue in Japan, and improve intercultural and linguistic awareness.

scholarly journals Semi-Supervised Noisy Label Learning for Chinese Medical Named Entity Recognition

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Zhucong Li ◽  
Zhen Gan ◽  
Baoli Zhang ◽  
Yubo Chen ◽  
Jing Wan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hybrid System ◽  
Named Entity Recognition ◽  
Entity Recognition ◽  
Final Test ◽  
Named Entity ◽  
The Core ◽  
Category Labels ◽  
Adversarial Training ◽  
Core Idea ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper describes our approach for the Chinese Medical named entity recognition(MER) task organized by the 2020 China conference on knowledge graph and semantic computing(CCKS) competition. In this task, we need to identify the entity boundary and category labels of six entities from Chinese electronic medical record(EMR). We construct a hybrid system composed of a semi-supervised noisy label learning model based on adversarial training and a rule postprocessing module. The core idea of the hybrid system is to reduce the impact of data noise by optimizing the model results. Besides, we use post-processing rules to correct three cases of redundant labeling, missing labeling, and wrong labeling in the model prediction results. Our method proposed in this paper achieved strict criteria of 0.9156 and relax criteria of 0.9660 on the final test set, ranking first.

scholarly journals Automatic Inference of Sound Correspondence Patterns Across Multiple Languages

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann-Mattis List
Keyword(s):  
Pattern Recognition ◽  
Graph Theory ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Phylogenetic Reconstruction ◽  
Automatic Method ◽  
Network Approach ◽  
The Core ◽  
Cover Problem ◽  
Core Idea ◽  
Multiple Languages

Sound correspondence patterns play a crucial role for linguistic reconstruction. Linguists use them to prove language relationship, to reconstruct proto-forms, and for classical phylogenetic reconstruction based on shared innovations. Cognate words which fail to conform with expected patterns can further point to various kinds of exceptions in sound change, such as analogy or assimilation of frequent words. Here we present an automatic method for the inference of sound correspondence patterns across multiple languages based on a network approach. The core idea is to represent all columns in aligned cognate sets as nodes in a network with edges representing the degree of compatibility between the nodes. The task of inferring all compatible correspondence sets can then be handled as the well-known minimum clique cover problem in graph theory, which essentially seeks to split the graph into the smallest number of cliques in which each node is represented by exactly one clique. The resulting partitions represent all correspondence patterns which can be inferred for a given dataset. By excluding those patterns which occur in only a few cognate sets, the core of regularly recurring sound correspondences can be inferred. Based on this idea, the paper presents a method for automatic correspondence pattern recognition, which is implemented as part of a Python library which supplements the paper. To illustrate the usefulness of the method, we present how the inferred patterns can be used to predict words that have not been observed before.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document