The place of hope in politics

pp. 139-158

in: Bernard Dauenhauer, Elements of responsible politics, Berlin, Springer, 1991

Abstract

Political philosophy is seldom an obviously efficacious mode of political action. Nonetheless, because it is always articulated in the context of a struggle for justice and power which shapes human lives, its efforts to make sense of the conditions for beneficial collective human accomplishments are far from irrelevant to responsible political practice.¹ Its analyses are never fully independent of the historical context in which they arise. And they always contain at least implied recommendations for future conduct. As a consequence of its time-bound character the arguments proper to political philosophy are for the most part enthymematic rather than demonstrative. They claim persuasiveness rather than conclusiveness.²