Ethics is dead politics: a dissertation on political normativity

Thesis

This doctoral thesis is prompted by the political realist diagnosis that “ethics is usually dead politics; the hand of a victor in a past conflict reaching out to extend its grip to the present and the future”. While there is already an extensive body of literature on political realism and moralism, my work aims to contribute by exploring various explanations for the realist diagnosis and by assessing the prospects of methodological success for the different realist approaches within contemporary theory. Each chapter offers a distinct perspective on the relationship between political realism and political moralism, and the question of political normativity at large. The central objective is to evaluate existing realist advances and discard those that are methodologically redundant and/or philosophically misled. In short, this thesis deflates ordorealism and contextual realism, challenges extant radical realist proposals, and offers a tentative outline for a more rudimental realist social analysis and critique.

Authors: Kreutz, A

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-7rprdrzda
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English