In light of many recent critiques of Western modernity and its
conceptual foundations, the problem of adequately justifying our most
basic moral and political values looms large. Without recourse to
traditional ontological or metaphysical foundations, how can one
affirm--or sustain--a commitment to fundamentals? The answer,
according to Stephen White, lies in a turn to "weak" ontology, an
approach that allows for ultimate commitments but at the same time
acknowledges their historical, contestable character. This turn, White
suggests, is already underway. His book traces its emergence in a
variety of quarters in political thought today and offers a clear and
compelling account of what this might mean for our late modern
self-understanding. As he elaborates the idea of weak ontology and the
broad criteria behind it, White shows how these are already at work in
the thought of contemporary writers of seemingly very different
perspectives: George Kateb, Judith Butler, Charles Taylor, and William
Connolly. Among these thinkers, often thought to be at odds, he
exposes the commonalities that emerge around the idea of weak
ontology. In its identification of a critical turn in political
theory, and its nuanced explanation of that turn, his book both
demonstrates and underscores the strengths of weak ontology.
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The Strengths of Weak Ontology in Political Theory
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781400823918
Publisert
2021
Utgiver
Princeton University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter