The relationship between political philosophy and political science

Bibliographic Data

ID6234917
AuthorsKeith Dowding (0000-0001-6888-9369, Australian National University, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume55
Issue4
Pages432-444
Publication date2020-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAustralian Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1036-1146 • E-ISSN: 1363-030X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10361146.2020.1822776
OpenAlexW3088305536
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited28

Many 'philosophy of ... .' subjects are closely intertwined with their subject matter, using the results in, say biology, or physics, or the content of history or art, as part-and-parcel of their subject matter. Political philosophy does not seem engaged with political science in the same manner. It is more closely attuned with moral philosophy, indeed at times it seems difficult to separate the two subjects. I argue in this paper that despite political philosophy being normative, rather than explanatory or about methods, it needs to be more closely attuned with political science. Political philosophy should concentrate more upon governing structures, and less on individuals; utilise the known mechanism and results from political science; and concentrate more on questions more familiar to political scientists. It needs to become a branch of political science, rather, as it seems now, a branch of moral philosophy

American political science · Biology and political science · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · International political economy · Normative · Philosophy of science · Political communication · Political philosophy · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Subject (documents · Subject matter · Systems theory in political science · Computer Science · Law · Philosophy · Political Philosophy and Ethics · Seventeenth-Century Political and Philosophical Thought · War, Ethics, and Justification

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