Political Philosophy Research Articles

Ideology as Relativized <em>A Priori</em>: On the Mind’s Relation to the Social World

We propose an account of the subject’s cognition and its relation to the world that allows for an articulation of the phenomenon of ideology. We argue that ideology is a form of what we call ‘a priori activity’: it transcendentally conditions the intelligibility of thought and practice. But we draw from strands of post-Kantian philosophy of science and social philosophy in repudiating Kant’s view that the a priori is necessary and fixed. Instead, we relativize the a priori: we argue that it is contingent, and therefore revisable. More precisely, it is conditioned materially, in that it is enmeshed with and shaped by material social practice. We conclude with some remarks about the possibility of agency over the relativized, materially conditioned a priori—that is, about the possibility of critique.

A passzív rezisztencia politikai gazdaságtana: száz éve született Jászay Antal

This short essay is aimed at commemorating Antal Jászay, or Anthony de Jasay, who made his mark at the interface of political philosophy and public choice, and 2025 is the 100th anniversary of his birth. His relative obscurity is due both to his avoidance of the institutions of the academic world and to the ‘conservative anarchist’ conclusions of his philosophy. However, Jasay is a classic in public choice literature who should not be forgotten – which, of course, would require getting to know him first. JEL codes: D70, B25

Defending Relational Autonomy

Abstract Relational accounts of autonomy such as those advanced by Rebekah Johnston (2017. “Personal Autonomy, Social Identity, and Oppressive Social Contexts.” Hypatia 32 (2): 312–28) and particularly Marina Oshana (1998; “Personal Autonomy and Society.” Journal of Social Philosophy 29 (1): 81–102. 2006; Personal Autonomy in Society. Aldershot: Ashgate; 2015. “Is Social-Relational Autonomy a Plausible Ideal?” In Personal Autonomy and Social Oppression: Philosophical Perspectives, edited by M. Oshana. New York: Routledge) are often thought to be distinctively vulnerable to paternalist and perfectionist objections, as well as implying in a troublesome and/or implausible way that many of us are much less autonomous than is standardly thought. I argue that although constitutively relational accounts are indeed perfectionist, they are so in such a “thin” way that we should not be concerned by it; that they are not paternalist (and indeed are necessarily hostile to the sorts of power relations necessary for paternalism); and that the charge that relational accounts demand an unattractively high bar for autonomy is misdirected – we really do lack autonomy in perhaps surprising but plausible ways and for the account to imply this is a problem for the world rather than the theory.

Mengulas Peran Imajinasi dalam Pencarian Kebenaran dan Keyakinan Perspektif Immanuel Kant dan Cornelius Castoriadis

This research aims to examine the extent to which imagination plays a role in the search for truth and the formation of human beliefs, with a focus on the perspective of Immanuel Kant and Cornelius Castoriadis. Kant, within the framework of his critical philosophy, underscores the central role of imagination in shaping our aesthetic, moral and knowledge experiences. Imagination, for him, is the power of synthesis that connects empirical data with pure concepts of reason. Meanwhile, Castoriadis sees imagination as a creative force that underlies the formation of society and individual identity. Imagination, in Castoriadis's perspective, is the source of all social institutions, values and norms. This study will carry out an in-depth comparison between Kant's and Castoriadis' views regarding the role of imagination. It is hoped that this comparative analysis will reveal the points of contact and differences between the two philosophers, as well as provide a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics of imagination in human life. This research uses a conceptual analysis approach to analyze and compare the ideas of the two philosophers. In this way, it is hoped that it can contribute to philosophical studies regarding epistemology, especially regarding the formation of knowledge and reality. Apart from that, this study is also relevant to the study of social philosophy, because imagination has a central role in the formation of society and collective identity.

Towards a Holistic Approach to Sustainable Development: Inner Development as a Missing Link for Sustainability Transformation

The discourse on understanding and implementing sustainable development has so far focused primarily on the external aspects, neglecting the internal dimension of people. The main purpose of our paper is to contribute to addressing this research gap. Therefore, we intend to (1) substantiate existing aspects of the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), (2) complement them, and (3) link the concept of the IDGs to normative discourses in Christian Social Ethics and Social Philosophy. Our results show that the dimensions of Being, Relating, and Collaborating in the IDG Framework can be substantiated by the normative discourse on spirituality and by reference to the social principle of personality in Christian Social Ethics, as well as by the Indian Social Philosophical Perspective of Vimala Thakar which focuses on a value-based approach. This paper suggests that the concept of the IDGs will be strengthened by adding the dimension of Caring—understood as the concern and responsibility for the wholeness in the combining of the inner and outer dimensions. By linking the concept of the Inner Development Goals to the existing normative discourses in Christian Social Ethics and Social Philosophy, our research contributes to making the concept connectable and deepens the discussions on a practical and theoretical level.

Citizen Preferences and BCA: A Model of Willingness-to-Pay behind a Veil of Ignorance

Abstract Public sector allocative decisions should reflect, as far as possible, the preferences of those affected by the decisions. Conventional benefit–cost analysis (BCA) will simply aggregate individuals’ private willingness-to-pay (WTP) over all affected individuals to estimate the total benefits of a policy that delivers a public good. Given the nature of a public good, it is not unreasonable to consider that an individual may have altruistic preferences over the consumption of the public good by others. In this paper, we set out the theoretical underpinnings for a new citizen-based WTP, informed by political philosophy. Our model extends the standard social utility model (Bergstrom, 2006) of WTP for a public good when individuals are altruists by incorporating a Veil of Ignorance (VoI; Harsanyi, 1955). Our findings show that our WTP (Citizen) correctly includes altruistic as well as distributional preferences of individuals in society into WTP for use in a BCA. When WTP (Citizen) are aggregated for use in a BCA, equal weight is given to each individual’s preference and the BCA will correctly identify potentially Pareto-improving projects in a consistent manner.

Classical Islamic philosophy and the gendered perfection of bodies and minds

How does classical Islamic philosophy envisage political leadership? Many – scholars and popular commentators alike – assume that, in line with certain Qur’anic and social commitments regarding gender roles, the Islamic political tradition is, and always has been, unenthusiastic about female political leadership. Examining the works of three important political thinkers – al-Farabi (d. 950), Ibn Tufayl (d. 1185), and Ibn Rushd (d. 1198) – this article complicates a simplistic vision. I will show that both on the issue of whether only the most perfect are capable of leadership and the question of whether women, too, can be such leaders, classical thinkers diverge and thus elude a simplistic assessment of the premodern tradition. My foray into classical Islamic discourses on political leadership will thus end by emphasizing caution. We must be wary of any attempts to draw straightforward connections between contemporary grievances and the classical tradition of Islamic political thought, as well as be attentive to the breadth and contestation of basic commitments among different figures.

Response: Money in the History of Political Thought

Response: Money in the History of Political Thought

The Bulgarian Ethnic Model: “Secular” Religion, Denominational Admissibility and Territorial Tolerance

The so-called The Bulgarian ethnic model is a Bulgarian political philosophy that presents itself as a formula that theorizes the ethno-religious balance in the post-communist society. The paradigm was created immediately after the fall of the regime of the communist dictator Todor Zhivkov and became matter of a fierce discussion of often contradictory opinions. The promoter of the mentioned particular matrix was the emerging post-communist and pro-democracy academic Bulgarian community with their professional invention, not the politicians. The latter rather hindered the public dialogue, being dominant supporters of the various tendencies of the remnants of nationalism. It reflects not only a specific stage of the country’s political development, but also the economic, social and folk-psychological momentum of the local society. Three main factors determine the specificity of the ethno-religious tolerance of the Bulgarian society. In the first place, it is the presence of de facto content oxymoron “secular religion” in the society at the expense of practically zero indoctrination of the religious practices. It is about the irreversible erosion of the public authority of the Christian and Muslim clergy. In the second place, we can note the wonderful stitching of the most statesmanlike, secular Christian denomination – Eastern Orthodoxy and the most tolerant Islamic orthodox school – Hanafi Sunnism. It is about a kind of interreligious harmony. Thirdly, the successful sustainability of the Bulgarian ethno-confessional balance is due to the so-called positional tolerance, relating it to the geographical distribution between the different religious groups.

Plato, Republic, Book II, and Antiphon’s on Truth

Abstract Scholars have long been aware of striking similarities between a crucial passage in Book II of Plato’s Republic and the longest papyrus fragment surviving from Antiphon’s On Truth. Previous scholarship has identified some views common to both texts but has not explained how these views hang together in a unified and coherent ethical outlook. A deeper investigation into these two texts turns up a blueprint for Greek immoralist arguments, a finding which should be of considerable interest to scholars of ancient Greek ethics and political philosophy. The paper argues that both texts include an argument whose demonstrandum is that it is by nature good or advantageous to commit injustice when one can do so undetected; that this argument in each case involves a set of background premises that constitute a blueprint for immoralist arguments in Classical Athens; and that the immoralist ethical theory of Republic II is an outline distilled from several more detailed theories, including the one belonging to On Truth.

A New Approach of Wide Reflective Equilibrium-from the Perspective of Morality as Cooperation

This review discussed a possible combination of Justice as Fairness and Morality as Cooperation. The concept of Justice as Fairness, which was introduced by the renowned philosopher John Rawls, advocates for the use of wide reflective equilibrium as a tool to derive and establish the fundamental principles that should govern a just society. In this process, Rawls suggests that we should not only consider our own moral intuitions but also engage with the perspectives and reasoning of others, including various philosophical theories and arguments. The theory of Justice as Fairness, with its emphasis on wide reflective equilibrium, thus provides a structured yet flexible approach to moral and political philosophy. There are, however, sociological and epistemic difficulties in implementing its social blueprint, thereby giving evolutionary psychology and game theory chances to participate in formulating justice, as Oliver Curry had proposed in his theory of Morality as Cooperation. This review relates Curry’s moral molecule model and evolutionary game theory as substitutes for Rawls’ Fairness principles and original position in wide reflective equilibrium. It justifies their practical advantage, and by replacing the disadvantaged concepts with their counterparts, this review aims to produce a method with the characterization of being instinctively highly accepted with simpler methodologies; thus, this review looks to inspire future directions of moral psychology and philosophy.

Political thinking in action: realism as ideology in the discourses of Macron, Orbán, and Scholz about Ukraine

ABSTRACT Despite growing attention to realism in political theory, there remains a notable gap in understanding how politicians adopt, interpret, or contest the realist approach. This gap is particularly striking given that realist theory fundamentally hinges upon grounding theoretization in the realities of politics. This article turns to the political discourse surrounding the war in Ukraine to examine the role of realist argumentation in justifying and guiding political action. In contrast to the rejection or critique of ideologies in contemporary realist theory, our analysis, adopting a morphological approach of the discourses articulated by Emmanuel Macron, Viktor Orbán, and Olaf Scholz, revealed the substantive and ideological nature of realism. Our findings underscore the potential for starting realist theorizing by considering the realities of political practice, namely that realism must be situated between fidelity to reality and the uncertainties of dissimulation.

Public Policy in Legalist Thought and Its Application and Impact in Contemporary China

The Legalism is one of the most influential and representative political philosophies of ancient China, and it has continued to have an enduring influence on public policy making and the governance model of contemporary China. This article will explore the sustained influence of Legalism on governance in contemporary China by exploring the core principles of Legalism as well as its main ideas on public policy and governance. The main core principles and ideas of Legalism are: the rule of law, strict adherence to the law, and the strategic use of state power. This study aims to highlight the continuity of ancient philosophical thought in shaping the current political landscape, while also demonstrating and emphasising the importance of understanding these historical origins in order to understand Chinese governance patterns.

Droit au coeur de la science politique

Summary This article serves as a prolegomenon to further studies on the political and legal thought of Jean de Chokier (1571–1656). Trained in Roman law and canon law at the University of Orléans, he became one of the most prominent canon lawyers, political thinkers and humanist scholar of the Principality of Liège, an Imperial State situated in the Western part of the Holy Roman Empire. Author of major works in canon law, history and political science, he became vicar general of the Diocese of Liège under Prince-Bishops Ferdinand and Maximilian-Henri of Bavaria, successively. He belonged to the Neo-Stoic network around Justus Lipsius (1547–1606), the humanist jurist from Overijse. Inspired by this intellectual movement, Chokier published legal, political, historical and literary treatises next to performing his duties as an ecclesiastical administrator. His life and writings reflect the osmosis between humanist erudition, political commitment and legal knowledge that characterized the careers of many of the great jurists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Considering that Chokier was foremostly trained as a canon lawyer and also professionally active in this domain, this article invites readers to take a fresh look at Chokier’s political and juridical oeuvre from a canon law perspective.

The Deconstruction of Modern Mortality of Death: An Analysis Through Law, War, and Social Philosophy

ObjectivesThis paper aims to explore the deconstruction of contemporary mortality through a multidisciplinary approach, focusing on law, warfare, and social philosophy. It examines how modern society navigates the complexities of death, both legally and socially, and investigates the impact of warfare and aging on perceptions of mortality.Material and methodsA qualitative analysis is conducted through a review of international legal frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Additionally, case studies of modern warfare (e.g., Ukraine and Gaza) and philosophical discourse on social death are examined.ResultsThe study finds that international law prioritizes the right to life, while the right to die remains a contested issue. Modern warfare complicates traditional notions of mortality, extending death beyond the battlefield. Social death, marked by withdrawal from societal engagement, highlights the role of aging and retirement in diminishing personal identity before biological death. These findings underscore modernity’s attempt to manage and distance itself from death, while also revealing the erosion of communal coping mechanisms in the face of mortality.ConclusionsThe paper concludes that the deconstruction of modern mortality reflects a broader societal shift towards the privatization and medicalization of death. It calls for renewed engagement with mortality through collective rituals, ethical reflection, and interdisciplinary discourse. Bauman’s insights on modern mortality remain relevant, emphasizing the need for a more open, empathetic confrontation with death in contemporary society.

W. H. Auden’s Left-Wing Political Thinking and Its Impact on His Early Poetry

Auden’s political thinking was rooted in the turbulent times of the 1930s. He chose to stand with the proletariat and paid attention to social realities. Marxism helped him better understand the background and causes of social problems, and find ways to diagnose and treat social ills. Under the influence of these left-wing political thoughts, Auden’s poetry showed criticism of the bourgeoisie, exploration of social issues, and a call for social change and struggle in terms of its content. In terms of the form of his poetic creation, this stance was manifested through what Auden termed “the hawk’s vision” and highly radical wording.

Hubungan antara Pendidikan, Agama, dan Ideologi dalam Perspektif Filsafat: Systematic Literature Review

This paper aims to examine the complex relationship between education, religion and ideology through the lens of philosophy. These three concepts of education, religion and ideology have influenced and shaped each other throughout the history of human civilisation. Education is a means of shaping individuals and society, while religion and ideology provide a foundation of values and moral guidance that influence the educational process. From a philosophical perspective, the relationship between education, religion and ideology can be analysed through several questions, including the purpose, meaning and values underlying the education system. These three concepts can be analysed through philosophy, as philosophy is a systematic attempt to understand reality and plays an important role. We can identify various perspectives on how education shapes the character of individuals and society, how religion influences worldview and human behaviour, and how ideology shapes collective identity and political orientation through various schools of philosophy, such as philosophy of education, philosophy of religion, and political philosophy, This research method uses a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) study. The references for this writing come from journals, papers, and articles from 2022 to 2024. The journals, papers and articles reviewed were 15 and came from Google Schoolar. The results of this study are: (1) The relationship between education and Islamic philosophy, (2) The development of philosophy of science in the world of education in Indonesia, (3) The Merdeka curriculum in philosophical review, (4) The relationship between philosophy and religion, law and technology, (5) The relationship between philosophy and the ideology of Pancasila.

From fantasy to sci-fi: social aspects of reflection of science in literature on the example of the Strugatsky brothers and Elizer Yudkowsky

The work raises the issue of the popularity of science in modern science fiction literature. It defines science fiction and fantasy from the standpoint of social philosophy. It reveals the social aspects that influence the formation of the author's concepts using the example of the Strugatskys and Yudkowsky. It analyzes the methods of presenting literary history as an enhancing factor in the reflection of science.

Anti-Socialist, Anti-Feminist, Public Intellectual: The Social Philosophy of Correa Moylan Walsh

Renowned in his time as a polymath and public intellectual, Correa Moylan Walsh (1862-1936) made important contributions to economics and political science as well as other disciplines. In economics, his work on index numbers became the subject of commentaries by such notables as Irving Fisher and Francis Edgeworth, while in political science and history, his treatise of the life and philosophy of John Adams is even today regarded as the classic reference on the subject. Yet one facet of his thought has received scant attention, this being his three-volume explication of his political, economic, and social philosophy, The Climax of Civilisation, Socialism, and Feminism. In these volumes he expressed views in some ways counter to the prevailing Progressivism of the time and so put him at odds with many of the country’s mainstream intellectuals. This essay will explore Walsh’s perspectives on many of the pressing issues of the time, identifying commonalities with his work and aspects of Progressive-era social thought.

Justice, Community and Freedom: XXX World Congress on the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy

The article is dedicated to the review of the XXX World Congress of the International Association for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy (IVR), which took place in the summer of 2022 in Bucharest, Romania. The overall theme of the Congress, “Justice, Community, and Freedom,” raises fundamental questions about the correlation between two fundamental values of modernity – justice and freedom – mediated by the community, within which the realization of both justice and freedom is possible.The author focuses the discussion on the plenary reports of the Congress participants, who examined the relationship between justice, community, and freedom from various perspectives. The plenary speakers addressed such topics as realism in political and legal philosophy, the civilized right of nations, the administration of justice and the fight against severe human rights violations, human rights judges; gender, law, and equal freedom; rhetoric as philosophy; the war in Ukraine and philosophy of law; paradoxes of existence; structural racial injustice in the context of Rawls' theory; human rights theory and practice for the Anthropocene; reflexive inclusivity and the prospects of cultural confrontation; privacy, critical definitions, and racial justice, as well as many other current issues in contemporary philosophy of law.