Political theory: the state of the art

Abstract

For much of its history political science has been political theory. As political science begins to establish a stronger sense of identity, political theorists have become more concerned about the point of their activity. In reviewing current trends and future prospects for political theory the author examines the current state of the art, including the undue significance attached to gurus such as Michael Oakeshott and Isaiah Berlin, the quest for normalisation in a preoccupation with theories of justice and the irrelevancy of permanent critique. The author concludes with a suggestion that political theory needs a much greater critical engagement with political scienc