12. Realism, Wishful Thinking, Utopia

Being realistic and demanding the impossible

“…This is another point of difference between my position and Geuss's, who says, “it is completely open to the realist to depict utopian conditions in all their particulars if he has a mind to” (, p. 245).…”

“…Notice, however, how the broader radical realist approach I describe here need not be genealogical: one may draw on epistemic normativity simply by pointing out that things aren't as they seem, regardless of their genealogy. This is a key difference between the genealogical approach I develop in the next section and the ideology critique championed by both Geuss () and Prinz ().…”

“…I will not take issue on the technicalities of this sometimes semantics-dominated debate, but I will attempt to bypass it by showing how realists can make normative claims without relying on pre-political moral commitments.3 "Political association" need not refer to the modern state(Raekstad, 2016).4 Notice, however, how the broader radical realist approach I describe here need not be genealogical: one may draw on epistemic normativity simply by pointing out that things aren't as they seem, regardless of their genealogy. This is a key difference between the genealogical approach I develop in the next section and the ideology critique championed by bothGeuss (2017) andPrinz (2016).5 Also see Freeden(2012),Galston (2010) andValentini (2012), butRossi and Sleat (2014) andSleat (2014).…”

Serious, not all that serious: Utopia beyond realism and normativity in contemporary critical theory

“…Geuss defines realism not, as is common, as the contrary of utopianism, but, rather, as compatible with it. Realism—“by no means necessarily antiutopian”—refers, for him, to “a ‘realistic’ assessment of a situation” that is “not limited, impeded, or distorted by wishful thinking or ideology” (Geuss, , p. 245). It is “a political philosophy that aims to proceed in the most ‘reflective’ possible way—… that works with ideology critique and genealogy and constantly checks its own basic concepts with respect to their possible origin in wishful thinking” (p. 243).…”

“…The target of a Geussian realist critique is ideal theory, from Immanuel Kant to John Rawls to Habermas, which is strongly suspected “of being ideology” for, inter alia, making “power invisible” (Geuss, , pp. 245, 246) .…”