The fundamental question of practical political theory is the nature of the actors that determine... more The fundamental question of practical political theory is the nature of the actors that determine what happens and what can happen in public life. Both analyses of political phenomena and the development of strategic theory that can transform existing political practice require an assessment of the fundamental actors that can count as political. This raises the question of the nature of the subjects of political activity. In recent political discussion this has included criticism of the modern liberal conception of the abstract individual and controversy over the viability of the concept of class and its possible replacement with some notion of the " new social movements " or " identity politics. " Especially informed by various postmodernist perspectives, a line of argument has developed that class cannot make sense as an appropriate analytical category or as a useful concept for organizing political action. Here we show that an examination of the relationship between the concepts of " subject, " " actor " and " agent " can show the continued viability of class as a central focus of political analysis and political action. We think that these terms can be used to attempt to understand the activities of both discrete human individuals and collective entities. It is rarely noted that the problematic of these three concepts works fundamentally different depending on whether the focus is on individuals or collectivities. This, among other things, has led to an overly hasty abandonment of the concept of class and its replacement by the " new social movements " as units of analysis and as organizations for political mobilization. Modern liberal political theory has generally operated within the Enlightenment ideal of universal humanism, maintaining the view that discrete individuals are the subjects of political theory and practice. The logic of this concept rests upon the assumption that all human beings are composed of a common essence that is neutral, 1 PAGE 2
This paper was presented to Department of Philosophy Symposium over 15 years ago. It is somewhat ... more This paper was presented to Department of Philosophy Symposium over 15 years ago. It is somewhat depressing to realize that much of what I had to say about the state of the CSU system as a kind of embodiment of a DeLeuzian society of control is still relevant.
J. HE CONCERN WITH NORMATIVE PROBLEMS in political theory is in one sense a very old one but in a... more J. HE CONCERN WITH NORMATIVE PROBLEMS in political theory is in one sense a very old one but in another sense a peculiarly contem-porary one. The works of classical political theorists are largely normative in character. They concern themselves with what ought to be done ...
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].
Moists NAIM EDITOR & PUBLISHER CARLOS LOZADA MANAGING EDITOR MARK STRAUSS SENIOR EDITOR &... more Moists NAIM EDITOR & PUBLISHER CARLOS LOZADA MANAGING EDITOR MARK STRAUSS SENIOR EDITOR & MANAGING EDITOR OF FOREIGNPOLICY.COM DAVID L. Bosco, LAURA PETERSON STAFF EDITORS MICHAEL C. BOYER, VERENA RINGLER ASSOCIATE ...
The American Political Science Review, Jan 1, 1992
... identity: Thinking through Marx. Post a Comment. CONTRIBUTORS: Author: Meister, Robert (b. 19... more ... identity: Thinking through Marx. Post a Comment. CONTRIBUTORS: Author: Meister, Robert (b. 1947, d. ----. PUBLISHER: B. Blackwell (Cambridge, Mass., USA). SERIES TITLE: YEAR: 1991. PUB TYPE: Book (ISBN 0631174176 ). VOLUME/EDITION: PAGES (INTRO/BODY): ix ...
With this work, Hanna Pitkin establishes herself as a major figure in contemporary political theo... more With this work, Hanna Pitkin establishes herself as a major figure in contemporary political theory. Her earlier works were substantial, scholar-ly pieces dealing with significant issues, and this one is sufficiently important that no competent student of political theory can neglect it. ...
Michael D. Yates, Why Unions Matter, 2nd ed. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2009, 240 pp.Michael... more Michael D. Yates, Why Unions Matter, 2nd ed. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2009, 240 pp.Michael D. Yates, In and Out of the Working Class. Winnipeg: Arbeiter Ring Publishing, 2009, 217 pp.
The fundamental question of practical political theory is the nature of the actors that determine... more The fundamental question of practical political theory is the nature of the actors that determine what happens and what can happen in public life. Both analyses of political phenomena and the development of strategic theory that can transform existing political practice require an assessment of the fundamental actors that can count as political. This raises the question of the nature of the subjects of political activity. In recent political discussion this has included criticism of the modern liberal conception of the abstract individual and controversy over the viability of the concept of class and its possible replacement with some notion of the " new social movements " or " identity politics. " Especially informed by various postmodernist perspectives, a line of argument has developed that class cannot make sense as an appropriate analytical category or as a useful concept for organizing political action. Here we show that an examination of the relationship between the concepts of " subject, " " actor " and " agent " can show the continued viability of class as a central focus of political analysis and political action. We think that these terms can be used to attempt to understand the activities of both discrete human individuals and collective entities. It is rarely noted that the problematic of these three concepts works fundamentally different depending on whether the focus is on individuals or collectivities. This, among other things, has led to an overly hasty abandonment of the concept of class and its replacement by the " new social movements " as units of analysis and as organizations for political mobilization. Modern liberal political theory has generally operated within the Enlightenment ideal of universal humanism, maintaining the view that discrete individuals are the subjects of political theory and practice. The logic of this concept rests upon the assumption that all human beings are composed of a common essence that is neutral, 1 PAGE 2
This paper was presented to Department of Philosophy Symposium over 15 years ago. It is somewhat ... more This paper was presented to Department of Philosophy Symposium over 15 years ago. It is somewhat depressing to realize that much of what I had to say about the state of the CSU system as a kind of embodiment of a DeLeuzian society of control is still relevant.
J. HE CONCERN WITH NORMATIVE PROBLEMS in political theory is in one sense a very old one but in a... more J. HE CONCERN WITH NORMATIVE PROBLEMS in political theory is in one sense a very old one but in another sense a peculiarly contem-porary one. The works of classical political theorists are largely normative in character. They concern themselves with what ought to be done ...
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].
Moists NAIM EDITOR & PUBLISHER CARLOS LOZADA MANAGING EDITOR MARK STRAUSS SENIOR EDITOR &... more Moists NAIM EDITOR & PUBLISHER CARLOS LOZADA MANAGING EDITOR MARK STRAUSS SENIOR EDITOR & MANAGING EDITOR OF FOREIGNPOLICY.COM DAVID L. Bosco, LAURA PETERSON STAFF EDITORS MICHAEL C. BOYER, VERENA RINGLER ASSOCIATE ...
The American Political Science Review, Jan 1, 1992
... identity: Thinking through Marx. Post a Comment. CONTRIBUTORS: Author: Meister, Robert (b. 19... more ... identity: Thinking through Marx. Post a Comment. CONTRIBUTORS: Author: Meister, Robert (b. 1947, d. ----. PUBLISHER: B. Blackwell (Cambridge, Mass., USA). SERIES TITLE: YEAR: 1991. PUB TYPE: Book (ISBN 0631174176 ). VOLUME/EDITION: PAGES (INTRO/BODY): ix ...
With this work, Hanna Pitkin establishes herself as a major figure in contemporary political theo... more With this work, Hanna Pitkin establishes herself as a major figure in contemporary political theory. Her earlier works were substantial, scholar-ly pieces dealing with significant issues, and this one is sufficiently important that no competent student of political theory can neglect it. ...
Michael D. Yates, Why Unions Matter, 2nd ed. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2009, 240 pp.Michael... more Michael D. Yates, Why Unions Matter, 2nd ed. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2009, 240 pp.Michael D. Yates, In and Out of the Working Class. Winnipeg: Arbeiter Ring Publishing, 2009, 217 pp.
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Papers by Bruce E Wright