Regulative Political Theory: Language,Norms and Ideology

Abstract

Some of the features of the ordinary language method in philosophy have survived in recent political theory. The method's drawback is its conceptual conservatism, which may go unnoticed when it is employed rather than discussed. Pennock's recent arguments about liberty are shown to rely on the method at crucial points, in such a way as to give unjustified support to the concept of negative liberty. More surprisingly, there is common ground between the ordinary language method and empirical democratic theory. Recent attempts to show the ideological nature of such theory are criticized in the light of further considerations about the illocutionary force attaching to the concept of democracy. Finally, an alternative to the ordinary language method of enquiry is sketched.