The Nature of Political Philosophy

Abstract

Political philosophy has been defined in various ways. Sometimes, for example, it is defined in terms of particular abstract concepts, such as justice or legitimacy, and sometimes in terms of particular concrete institutions, such as the state or government. Relatedly, it is sometimes identified with a particular audience - academic political philosophers as opposed to political elites or the general public - and sometimes with a particular method - the exchange of reasons as opposed to threats or bribes, or perhaps the application of 'reflective equilibrium'. This panel brings together new work on the general nature of our subject, with a focus in particular on (1) our core method(s), and (2) our core audience(s) .