1st Edition
The Routledge Handbook of Non-Ideal Theory
Made popular by John Rawls, ideal theory in political philosophy is concerned with putting preferences and interests to one side to achieve an impartial consensus and to arrive at a just society for all. In recent years, ideal theory has drawn increasing criticism for its idealised picture of political philosophy and its inability to account for the challenges posed by inequalities of, for example, race, gender, and class and by structural injustices stemming from colonialism and imperialism. The Routledge Handbook of Non-Ideal Theory is the first handbook or reference source on this important and fast-growing debate.
Comprised of 34 chapters by an international team of contributors, the Handbook is divided into three clear parts:
- Methodological Challenges
- Intersections
- Applied Issues and Contemporary Challenges.
Within these sections key topics are addressed including: the question of whether non-ideal theory is methodologically linked to ideal theory; its intersection with feminist philosophy, critical race theory, decolonial theory, and critical theory; its characteristic features; the role of the non-ideal theorist; its relation to activism; and its application in the context of disability and health studies, climate justice, global injustices, colonialism and many more. As well as a comprehensive introduction which provides important background to the debate between ideal and non-ideal theory, the handbook also features a contribution by the late philosopher Charles Mills on non-ideal theory as ideology.
The Routledge Handbook of Non-Ideal Theory is essential reading for students and scholars of political philosophy, ethics and political theory and will also be of interest to those studying and researching related subjects such as gender, race and social justice.
Introduction Hilkje C. Hänel and Johanna M. Müller
Revisiting “’Ideal Theory’ as Ideology” 15 Years Later Charles W. Mills
Part 1: Methodological Challenges
1. Ideal and Non-ideal Theory: Some Basic Distinctions Alexandru Volacu
2. Ideal Theory: An Internal Critique Jeffrey Carroll
3. Beyond Strict Compliance? Unpacking the Notion of Nonideal Theory as Partial Compliance Theory Naima Chahboun
4. Realistic Prescription Michael Goodhart
5. The Realism Trap: Are Feminists and Antiracists Really Nonideal Theorists? Serene J. Khader
6. What is Non-Ideal Theory? The Theoretical is Political Hilkje C. Hänel
7. Radical Rational Reconstruction Carol Hay
8. No Justice without Disability Jessica Begon
9. Discursive Resistance in a Non-Ideal World Nikki Ernst and Deborah Mühlebach
10. Non-Ideal Social Ontology and Emancipatory (or Critical) Social Ontology Katharine Jenkins
Part 2: Intersections
11. Non-Ideal Theory and Political Realism Ilaria Cozzaglio and Great Favara
12. Critical Theory and Non-Ideal Theory Titus Stahl
13. Approaching Global Justice – Ideal and Nonideal Elements in Political Ontology and Political Agency Johanna M. Müller
14. Non-ideal Theory and Global Justice Maeve McKeown
15. Non-ideal Theory and Resistance Candice Delmas
16. Migration and Non-Ideal Theory Alex Sager
17. Ability: The Unexplained Explainer Matthew Koshak and Joel Michael Reynolds
18. Ideal Theory, Literary Theory: Whither Transfeminism Matthew J. Cull
19. Non-ideal Theory and Ignorance Nadja El Kassar
20. Revisiting the Racial Contract: Race, Ignorance, and Non-Ideal Epistemology K. Bailey Thomas
21. Critical Race Structuralism and Non-Ideal Theory Elena Ruíz and Nora Berenstain
Part 3: Applied Issues and Contemporary Challenges
22. Social Justice in Times of Crisis Kok-Chor Tan
23. Social Identity at the Margins: A Decolonial Approach Youjin Kong
24. Non-Ideal Theory and Racial Passing: Anything but Iranian Roksana Alavi
25. Theorizing Non-Ideal Agency Caleb Ward
26. Only Human (in the Age of Social Media) Barrett Emerick and Shannon Dea
27. From Predicaments to Pathophobia: Non-ideal Approaches in Philosophy of Illness Ian James Kidd and Havi Carel
28. “The Health System Wasn’t Built for Us”: Medicine and Non-Normative Bodies Lauren Freeman
29. Epistemic Diversity, Ignorance, and Nonideal Philosophy of Science Quill Kukla
30. Evidence in a Non-Ideal World: How Social Distortion Creates Skeptical Potholes Catharine Saint-Croix
31. Intuitions and Deference in Non-Ideal Philosophy of Language Samia Hesni
32. Non-Ideal Theory and Reparative Justice: The Logic of “Indigenous Rights” Rebecca Tsosie
33. Non-Ideal Theory and Critical Prison Studies Madeleine Kenyon and Andrea J. Pitts
34. Non-ideal Climate Justice Fabian Schuppert.
Index
Biography
Hilkje C. Hänel is assistant professor in political theory at Potsdam University, Germany and PI of the International Research Network on The Relation of Theories of Epistemic Injustice and Recognition Theory, funded by the DFG.
Johanna M. Müller is a research assistant at the Department of Philosophy at the Georg-August University of Göttingen, Germany.
