2012
DOI: 10.1177/0090591712463201
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Where Should We Expect Social Change in Non-Ideal Theory?

Abstract: This essay considers the relationship between ideal theory and non-ideal theory. It begins with Rawls’s conception of ideal theory and A. John Simmons’s articulation of non-ideal theory. Both defend the priority of ideal theory over non-ideal theory. The essay then considers three different conceptions of the social barriers standing in the way of an ideal society, taken broadly from Mill, Marx, and Foucault. Each conception of power suggests a divergent strategy for pursuing non-ideal theory. The Foucauldian … Show more

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Cited by 19 publications
(9 citation statements)
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“…Steep transition costs hardly guarantee utopia, especially given the complexity of the social world and the impossibility of predicting the full repercussions of political action. Efforts to bring the ideal into existence by brute force can unleash a host of ills without bringing utopia any closer-a danger that looms over apocalyptic thought (Flannery, 2016) and ideal theory more broadly (Hendrix, 2013).…”
Section: The Political Appeal (And Risks) Of Apocalyptic Thoughtmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Steep transition costs hardly guarantee utopia, especially given the complexity of the social world and the impossibility of predicting the full repercussions of political action. Efforts to bring the ideal into existence by brute force can unleash a host of ills without bringing utopia any closer-a danger that looms over apocalyptic thought (Flannery, 2016) and ideal theory more broadly (Hendrix, 2013).…”
Section: The Political Appeal (And Risks) Of Apocalyptic Thoughtmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…According to Hendrix (2013), the process of non-ideal theorizing requires a deeper understanding of the concept of power, which is central to the transitional nature of the Rawlsian theory of justice. Power is something that is exercised among political institutions.…”
Section: Three Specific Guidelines On Carrying Out Doamentioning
confidence: 99%
“…15 Without such knowledge, proposals to advance justice can backfire and exacerbate the very oppression they seek to end. 16 Given that risk, academics committed to advancing justice also should value seeking the truth.…”
Section: The Case For Avoiding Political Activismmentioning
confidence: 99%