Political Concepts and Political Theories

288 Pages·2000·13.43 MB·English

by  Gerald Gaus

POLITICALC ONCEPTS
POLITICALT HEORIES
AND
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P o r r ~ l c ~CrO NCEPTS
POLITICALT HEORIES
AND
Tulane University
Westview Press
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Library cof Congress Cataloging-in-PublicatioirD ata
Gaus, Gerald F.
Political concepk and political theories / Geraid F' Gaus.
p. cm.
Il~ciudesin clex.
lSBN 0-8133-3331-8
l. Pc3litical ~ie~~cl. eTi.tl e.
The paper used i-tt this publiation meets t11e requiremen& of the Amet-ican Natioiral Stan-
dard for Pemartence of Paper for Prittted Library Materials Z39.48-1984,

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Part One: Conceptual Analysis
1 What: Axe Political Cancepts? 3
1.1 Socral-t;sfsQ uestion, 3
1.2 Wads, Defhitions, and Things, 7
1.3 Wittgenstein's Later hat)rsis, 12
1 Wittgenstein and Conceptual Investigations, 16
1.5 Summary, 22
Notes, 23
2 Canceptual Disputes
2.1 Essentially Contested Concepts, 26
3.3 Political Ideologies, 33
2-3 Political Philosophy md Political meories, 36
2.4 Summary 43
Notes, 44
3 Pofit icaf Theories: Conceptual Structures and
Enduring Types
3.1 Liberalism, Socialism, and Conservatism, 46
3.2 Ratio~~alism/Antirationalism52,
3.3 neories of Hzrman Nature, 60
3.4 .tndividuaZism/ Collectivism, 66
3.5 Summary, 70
Notes, 71
Part Twe
Political Concepts
4 Negative and Positive Liberty 77
4.1 Negaljve L,iberty: Some Ordinary Langtrage
Considerations, 7'7
4.2 Positive Freedom, 82
4.3 Two Concepts of t,iberty, 86
4.4 auestioning the PositivdNegative Distinctionf 94
4.5 Summary, 97
Notes, 98
5 Liberty and Power
5.1 Positive Freedom as Power to Act, 101
5.12. Pawer and Freedom 105
53 Freedom, Power, and Property 110
5.4 Freedom, Power, and the Law, 116
5.5 Summary 3123
Notes, 124
6 Equality 127
6.1 E~alityan d the Grounds for Equal Treatment, 127
62 Why Equality? External Arguments for the Importance
of Equaliv, 129
6.3 Why Equality? Arguments from Fundamental Human
Equality, 136
6.4 Equality of mat?M 5
6.5 Summary, 3154
Notes, 155
7 Equality and Liberty in Political Theories
7.1 Do t,iberty and Equnljty Connict? 158
7.2 Chssical Liberalism: tiherty and Basic Equality 159
7-3 Revisioz~isLf iberalisms, 164
7.4 A Socialist Reconciliation Proposal, 178
7.5 The Consernative Criticjtte of Equ.alitJi,1 74
7-6 Summary, 178
Notes, 179
8 Justice and Liberalism
8.1 The EIeme~ttso f Justice, 182
8.2 Classical 1,iberdism: Rutes for Equaliy Free Peoptc, 188
8.3 Monistic Revisionist Liberalism: Social Justice and
Cortt~butionsto the Common Good, 194
8.4 Pluralistic Revisionist Liberalism: A Revised Social
Contract Among Free and Equal People, 199
8.5 Summary, 206
Notes, 207
9 Justice, Society, and Community
9.1 Marx on Societies and Their Justice, 210
9.2 Socialism and the Democratic Co
9.3 Three Conservative Appmaches to Justice, 223
9.4 Summary 233
Notes, 234
10 Political Authority
10.1. Conservatism and Political Authority, 237
10.2 art Being "hA uthol-ity;" X1
10.3 Liberal l"o1itical Authority, 246
10.4 Democratic Atr"cEr0rit.ym d the Mmagement of
Collective Affairs, 251
10.5 Summary, 257
Notes, 258
Concluding Remarks:
From Political Carrcepls to Political Theories