Relationality, Comparison, and Decolonizing Political Theory

This paper discusses the puzzle of comparison as a method for decolonizing political theory and the need for a more relational approach in political theory, with a particular focus on comparative political theory (CPT). As a subfield of political theory, although CPT explores the works of “non-Western” political thinkers as well as “non-Western” ideas about politics; it has already been argued that the comparison aspect of CPT is not novel or distinctive to CPT. It is rather CPT’s growing influence and precursory role in “decolonizing” political theory that makes it important. While this is a meaningful and inspiring effort, however, the subject of analysis, as well as both the author and audience in this attempt, is still the Western thought and how Western thought should be. Hence, comparative political theory has also been argued to reproduce the dichotomy that it was set to demolish, which is the separation, if not the divide, between Western and non-Western intellectual traditions. This paper will and address two main questions: Can relationality provide a better normative basis for decolonizing the way we think about political concepts and issues? Should comparative political theory become more relational to respond to the broader decolonial challenges it addresses? The aim is to rethink the puzzle of comparison as a method for decolonizing Western political theory by drawing on relational approaches to rethink the subjects (and others) of political theorizing. Can relationality provide a better normative basis for decolonizing the borders and boundaries of Western political thought, especially the ways we think about agency, subjectivity, community, and democracy? This discussion indicates two problems that come with over-reliance on comparison to decolonize political theory: (1) the necessity of distinction, and (2) the lack of internal critique while bringing non-Western theory or theory from margins to the centre. I argue that a relational rethinking might offer some insight into how we might be able to start to understand the inner dynamics behind these puzzles from a non-dualistic perspective.