Scientific Models and Political Theory: The Ideal Theory Debate Revisited

Abstract

Political philosophy has traditionally been defined as a normative discipline with a distinctively ideal component, largely informed by moral philosophy. In this paper, I investigate a prominent critique of ideal theory specifically with the goal of resituating the debate within a larger framework in the philosophy of science. I then mount a novel case for how ideal theory should be viewed in terms of scientific modelling. I close with a discussion of how this view can dissolve apparent paradoxes and provide distinct advantages to the political theorist.

The case for methodological naturalisation: Between political theory and political science

“… 5. As exemplified by Waldron (2016), Levy (2016), Hamlin (2017), Floyd (2022), Galston (2010), Carens (2004), Modood and Thompson (2018), Lægaard (2015, 2019), Perez and Fox (2018), Ackerly et al (2021), Miller (2013), Baderin (2014), Perez (2020) and Nefdt (2021). The groundbreaking work of Walzer (1983) obviously deserves to be mentioned in the context of these more recent works as well; see Křepelová (2019) for an overview. …”