Tragic Realism and Political Ethics

Dr. Johnson argues that if political ethics is to be relevant to our lives it must reject abstract approaches to politics based on a theory of justice or rights. He develops a notion of “tragic realism” that enables us to question the predominant way of approaching politics where the application of some theory magically guides our judgments. Finally, he contends that the task of politics is to develop a skill that is mindful of power, motives and ethical considerations, all of which help us to negotiate the real existence of political life.