\u201cThe General Theory of Politics\u201d
\nby
\nDr. James ALEXANDER
\nAssociate Professor in Political Science
\nBilkent University
\njalexand@bilkent.edu.tr<\/p>\n
Date and Room Info:
\nTuesday, December 5, 2023, 12:30 p.m.; A-130<\/p>\n
Abstract:
\nThis talk has a historical and a philosophical side.Historically, there was an attempt in the twentieth century to generate a general theory of politics which would combine the breadth of the entire tradition of philosophical reflection since Plato and Aristotle with the focus of the new scientific emphasis on politics. This attempt failed. Most modern political theory and political science avoids fundamentals and ignores not only the failure to generate a general theory, but even the attempt to do so.
\nPhilosophically, the failure of the attempt is more instructive than the attempt itself: since it indicates that the structure of a general theory of politics is necessarily paradoxical and contradictory. The best way to characterise politics is by saying that it involves a \u2018double diremption\u2019. One diremption is theoretical, the other is practical. I shall attempt to substantiate both the historical claim and the philosophical claim in this talk.<\/p>\n
Bio:
\nJames Alexander received a Ph.D. in History at Trinity College, Cambridge in 2000. His dissertation was later published as a book, Shaw\u2019s Controversial Socialism (University Press of Florida, 2009). Subsequently he held positions at King\u2019s College, Cambridge, and the Department of Politics of the University of Cambridge. He came to the Department of Political Science at Bilkent University in 2004. His teaching and research interests include the history and philosophy of politics: political concepts, political ideologies, varieties of contemporary political theory, the nature of politics. He has articles in journals such as Philosophy, Government and Opposition and The History of Political Thought.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cThe General Theory of Politics\u201d by Dr. James ALEXANDER Associate Professor in Political Science Bilkent University jalexand@bilkent.edu.tr Date and Room Info: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 12:30 p.m.; A-130 Abstract: This talk has a historical and a philosophical side.Historically, there was an attempt in the twentieth century to generate a general [\u2026] <\/p>\n