William E. Connolly's Politics of Complexity
A Critique
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10437331 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christopher Fear (0000-0002-5331-2476, University of Minnesota System, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 73-98 |
| Publication date | 2017-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Review of Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0034-6705 • E-ISSN: 1748-6858 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0034670516000735 |
| OpenAlex | W2570038831 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 18 |
In recent years, William E. Connolly has argued that the phenomenon of complexity in the physical sciences carries radical implications for political theory: namely, that political theorists should now be revising their concepts of agency, responsibility, and freedom. This very recent project of Connolly's has not (yet) attracted much opposition. Here I offer a critique of Connolly's argument which focuses on three key areas: (1) how he interprets and deploys “evidence” from physical science; (2) his theory of “ creative freedom”; and (3) the impact that his recent philosophy has on the idea of the intellect. I argue that Connolly's scientific evidence is not what he claims it is; that the theory of “creative freedom” he offers fails; and that his critique of the intellect fails in theory, and would be highly damaging in practice
Agency (philosophy · Argument (complex analysis · Epistemology · Intellect · Opposition (politics · Political philosophy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Critical Realism in Sociology · Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics · Law · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science
Language, truth and logic
Political Theory and Modernity. By William E. Connolly. New York
After Virtue
A World of Becoming
Democracy and Pluralism
The New Pluralism
Capitalism and Christianity, American Style
Political theory and modernity
The Fragility of Things
After virtue
Ethics, Politics, and the Limits of Reason
IThe Complexity of Intention
The Turn to Affect
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,17 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2020 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |