Recent Political Theory—Selected Articles. Many of these were assigned in a previous section of the course.

Farid Abdel-Nour, “National Responsibility,” Political Theory, Vol. 31 No. 5, October 2003 693-719.

Abdel-Nour argues that there are real responsibilities for what ancestors did, but limits to that responsibility. He suggests reasons why nationalism has such a strong hold on identity.

Arash Abizadeh, “Historical Truth, National Myths and Liberal Democracy: On the Coherence of Liberal Nationalism,” The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 12, Number 3, 2004, pp. 291–313.

Author argues there is an irresolvable conflict between liberal democracy and nationalistic historical claims, aka myths. Eg., deliberation and expression are valued highly in liberal dem, yet nationalist values are threatened by them.

Elizabeth Anderson, “Beyond Homo Economicus: New Developments in Theories of Social Norms,” Philosophy and Public Affairs, Spring 2000, 29, 2: pp. 170-200.

This reviews Avner Ben-Ner and Louis Putterman, eds., Economics, Values, and Organization (Cambridge, 1998), has a very nice overview of different approaches to explaining why people follow social norms, why our explanation matters (such as in the example of understanding corruption in LDCs).

G. E. M. Anscombe, “Modern Moral Philosophy,” Philosophy 33, No. 124 (January 1958), 1-19.

A discussion of approaches from the philosopher most responsible for the contemporary interest in virtue ethics.

Lawrie Balfour, “Reparations After Identity Politics,” Political Theory 2005; 33; 786.

Wendy Brown criticized the reparations movement. This is a response, supporting of reparations for several reasons.

Linda Barclay, “What kind of liberal is Martha Nussbaum?”, SATS-Nordic Journal of Philosophy Vol. 4, No. 2, 2003, pp. 5-24.

Excellent review of Nussbaum, incl. Sex and Social Justice, the review Nussbaum said she liked best. Situates her within liberalism.

Daniel A. Bell, “Human Rights and Social Criticism in Contemporary Chinese Political Theory,” Political Theory 2004; 32; 396.

This reviews some recent books.

W. James Booth, “The Color of Memory: Reading Race with Ralph Ellison,” Political Theory Volume 36 Number 5 October 2008 683-707.

Booth has written for more than a decade on memory, identity, and politics. Here he explores Ellison’s Invisible Man as a commentary on these themes.

Wendy Brown, “American Nightmare: Neoliberalism, Neoconservatism, and De-Democratization,” Political Theory Volume 34 Number 6, December 2006 690-714.

Brown takes on neoliberalism and neoconservatism, and argues they both work to reduce accountability in government and justice.

China's Charter 08, The New York Review of Books, Volume 56, Number 1 · January 15, 2009. Translated from the Chinese and introduced by Perry Link.

The document…, signed by more than two thousand Chinese citizens, was conceived and written in conscious admiration of the founding of Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia.

Jean L. Cohen, Rethinking Human Rights, Democracy, and Sovereignty in the Age of Globalization Political Theory 2008; 36; 578.

Cohen considers the content of human rights. After WWII it made sense to attempt to define some qualities of personhood as inviolate by states. Over the last 20 years an additional wrinkle has been added to the rights dialog—some states justifying violations of sovereignty, through sanctions, invasions, etc., in the pursuit of some cause. She argues we need a clear understanding of the content of rights in order to construct a working system of international law.

Fred Dallmayr, “Cosmopolitanism: Moral and Political,” Political Theory 2003; 31; 421.

Searching for a cosmopolitan universalism, reviewing Hans Kung and Martha Nussbaum in the process. It must be a political approach. Also: “Simply put, promotion of justice—that is, the removal of misery and oppression—falls more heavily on the rich and powerful than it does on the poor, the oppressed, and the subaltern.”

Amitai Etzioni, “The Emerging Global Normative Synthesis,” The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 12, Number 2, 2004, pp. 214–244.

How does one conceive of a working balance between autonomy and community, what does that have to do with world affairs? E. asserts there is an emerging global consensus on the question.

Kennan Ferguson, “I_©_MY DOG,” Political Theory, Vol. 32 No. 3, June 2004 373-395.

Ferguson takes the evidence of his love for his dog to construct some categories for our relationships with nonhuman creatures.

Paul Franco, The Shapes of Liberal Thought: Oakeshott, Berlin, and Liberalism, Political Theory 2003; 31; 484.

Franco compares the two, and finds Oakeshott more satisfying as political philosophy.

Ellis Goldberg, “Regarding the Imperial State,” Political Theory 2004; 32; 233.

Reviewing Scott’s Seeing Like A State, Sen’s Development As Freedom, and Mehta’s Liberalism And Empire, author discusses issues raised by using the powers of the state. Much of this work is critical of the liberal neglect of effects of the state on the social.

John Gray, “Are We Born Moral?”, The New York Review of Books, Volume 54, Number 8 · May 10, 2007.

This is a review of two books, Marc D. Hauser, Moral Minds: How Nature Designed Our Universal Sense of Right and Wrong; and Frans de Waal, edited by Stephen Macedo and Josiah Ober, Primates and Philosophers: How Morality Evolved. What is the evidence about primates and morality? Why does it matter? Evolution helps us understand why we are moral, but is unlikely to help us resolve the tough questions—those when principles we believe in point in more than one direction.

John Gray, “The Case for Decency,” The New York Review of Books, Volume 53, Number 12 · July 13, 2006

A review of some of Berlin’s more recently published work, with interesting stories of the roots of his thinking, and how he wanted to avoid what he saw as the constrictions of philosophy. Compare with Franco’s essay.

Kent Greenawalt, “Where Shall the Preaching Stop?”, The New York Review of Books, Volume 55, Number 8 · May 15, 2008.

This is a review of Martha C. Nussbaum, Liberty of Conscience: In Defense of America's Tradition of Religious Equality. Good reviewer, has some disagreements with N, this does help us see contours of her liberalism.

John G. Gunnell, “Are We Losing Our Minds? Cognitive Science and the Study of Politics,” Political Theory 2007; 35; 704

Gunnel argues that recent findings in cognitive science has implications for political theory; however, so far PTs who delve in it do so poorly, usually looking for justifications of their positions. (compare with Gray’s born moral)

Burke A. Hendrix, “Memory in Native American Land Claims,” Political Theory 2005; 33; 763.

Does what the title describes, and is useful to compare to the reparations arguments.

Ranjoo Seodu Herr, “In Defense of Nonliberal Nationalism,” Political Theory Volume 34 Number 3, June 2006 304-327

What happens to nationalism if we drop the intensive individualism found in liberalism? The question gets serious if we ask it in former colonized nations.

Kristen Hessler, “Resolving Interpretive Conflicts in International Human Rights Law,” The Journal of Political Philosophy Vol. 13, No. 1, 2005, pp. 29-52.

Interesting and accessible, uses case of Iran and the HRC of ICCPR to examine the importance of procedure in interpreting human rights law. Concludes, carefully, that the HRC is in a better position than the government of Iran to interpret whether particular acts violate HR law.

Scott Horton, “Justice After Bush: Prosecuting an Outlaw Regime,” Harper’s December 2008, 49-60.

Just like it sounds.

David Ingram, “Between Political Liberalism and Postnational Cosmopolitanism: Toward an Alternative Theory of Human Rights,” Political Theory 2003; 31; 359

Argues that liberal democratic values are not enough for cosmopolitanism—group rights have to be recognized typically, not occasionally. A federation of libdem countries and interest groups is the way to go.

Alison M. Jaggar, “Reasoning About Well-Being: Nussbaum’s Methods of Justifying the Capabilities,” The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 14, Number 3, 2006, pp. 301–322.

Review of several of her works, incl. Sex and Social Justice, find flaws in her method of justifying the list of capabilities, relying too much on the authority of the philosopher.

Tony Judt, “Goodbye to All That?,” NYRB, Volume 53, Number 14 · September 21, 2006.

Review of the reissue of Main Currents of Marxism and related books.

Christopher Kutz, “Justice in Reparations: The Cost of Memory and the Value of Talk,” Philosophy and Public Affairs; Summer 2004; 32, 3; pp. 277-312.

The reparations argument applied to Eastern Europe is interesting, can be good for students reading other reparations material. The case for correction ages quickly, he argues, and we need to distinguish between distributive and corrective justice.

Jacob T. Levy, Not So Novus an Ordo: Constitutions without Social Contracts, Political Theory [Political Theory OnlineFirst, published on December 19, 2008]

Thomas McCarthy, “Coming To Terms With Our Past, Part II: On the Morality and Politics of Reparations for Slavery,” POLITICAL THEORY, Vol. 32 No. 6, December 2004 750-772.

McCarthy investigates arguments for reparations, and suggests a central virtue would be a truth and reconciliation commission style public investigation into our past.

Gabrielle Meagher and Julie A. Nelson, “Survey Article: Feminism in the Dismal Science,” The Journal of Political Philosophy Vol. 12, No. 1, 2004, pp. 102-126.

Good article on feminist contributions to econ, and describes some reasons they are meager.

Pankaj Mishra, “Impasse in India,” NYRB, Volume 54, Number 11 · June 28, 2008.

This is a review of Nussbaum’s The Clash Within, mostly favorable, interesting how she applies her perspective to broad political problems. The article is more about Mishra on India’s politics.

J. Donald Moon, “Liberalism, Autonomy, And Moral Pluralism,” Political Theory 2003; 31; 125

Very useful review of a handful of recent books about liberalism, clarifying, among other things, political and comprehensive liberalism.

Martha C. Nussbaum, “On Hearing Women’s Voices: A Reply to Susan Okin,” Philosophy and Public Affairs Spring 2004, 32, 2: pp. 193-205.

Okin argued that Nussbaum’s list of capabilities does not reflect what poor women of the world say, not what they want. Nussbaum responds.

Susan Moller Okin, “Poverty, well-being, and gender: What counts, who's heard?”, Philosophy and Public Affairs; Summer 2003; 31, 3; Research Library pg. 280

This is the Okin review of Nussbaum (and Sen, etc.) that Nussbaum responds to, above.

Anthony Pagden, “Human Rights, Natural Rights, And Europe’s Imperial Legacy,” Political Theory 2003; 31; 171.

concludes his analysis (from the abstract): “[T]o defend human rights against its non-Western critics, one must be aware of the genealogy of the concept and then be prepared to endorse an essentially Western European understanding of the human.”

Ingrid Robeyns, “The Capability Approach in Practice,” The Journal of Political Philosophy: Volume 14, Number 3, 2006, pp. 351–376.

The author surveys recent attempts to enact the capabilities approach.

Alan Ryan, “Cosmopolitans,” NYRB, Volume 53, Number 11 · June 22, 2006

This review of Appiah’s Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers, Sen’s Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny, and Nussbaum’s Frontiers of Justice: Disability, Nationality, Species Membership, clearly compares the approaches. Good overview of what all goes into the category “cosmopolitan.”

Alan Ryan, “The Magic of 'I',” NYRB, Volume 52, Number 7 · April 28, 2005

This review of The Ethics of Identity, by Kwame Anthony Appiah, is very favorable, emphasizing Appiah’s methods.

David Scott, “Culture In Political Theory,” Political Theory 2003; 31; 92

Scott argues that PT poorly theorizes culture, in some part because of its ideological uses within PT. Very much a discussion among professionals, but it may be good to assign when going through Nussbaum on judging.

Amartya Sen, “Elements of a Theory of Human Rights,” Philosophy and Public Affairs, Fall 2004; 32, 4: pp. 315-356.

Human rights indeed need a basis in theory. Here is his position, which includes social and economic elements as well.

George Sher, “Transgenerational Compensation,” Philosophy and Public Affairs, Spring 2005, 33, 2: pp. 181-200.

Part of the reparations debate, author examines claim that compensation is not owed to people who would not exist in the absence of the harm. Rejects the claim in large part because it relies too heavily on a small part of our ignorance.

Chisanga N. Siame, “"Two Concepts of Liberty" Through African Eyes,” The Journal of Political Philosophy, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2000, pp. 53-67.

Very good account of how specific context (Zambia) recasts way we conceive of those two concepts of liberty.

Rogers M. Smith, Religious Rhetoric and the Ethics of Public Discourse: The Case of George W. Bush, Political Theory Volume 36 Number 2, April 2008

Smith examines political rhetoric in American politics. He does not accept that secular arguments should be privileged in public discourse. He does identify some elements of particular religious rhetoric that evades scrutiny of policies and democratic limits on government.

Robert E. Watkins, “Negotiating Rights and Difference: Liberalism, Cosmopolitanism, and Democracy,” Political Theory 2006; 34; 628.

A review of three books on cosmopolitanism that attempt to negotiate a position between universalism and difference.

Bernard Williams, “From freedom to liberty: The construction of a political value,” Philosophy and Public Affairs; Winter 2001; 30, 1; pp. 3-26.

The title is accurate—among the domains of freedom, the political choices are about tradeoffs with freedom as a political value.

Naomi Wolf, “Disaster Capitalism: The New Economy of Catastrophe,” Harper’s October 2007, 47-58.

This is the 12-page Harper’s version of her book, Shock Doctrine.