The Terms of Political Discourse.

by William E. Connolly

Book Overview

William Connolly presents a lucid and concise defense of the thesis of "essentially contested concepts" that can well be read as a general introduction to political theory, as well as for its challenge to the prevailing understanding of political discourse. In Connolly's view, the language of politics is not a neutral medium that conveys ideas independently formed but an institutionalized structure of meanings that channels political thought and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691022232
• ISBN13: 9780691022239
• Release Date: August 1993
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding

I had to read this as part of an MA in political theory. This was one of the outstanding set texts of the course; the lessons from it have stayed with me since. Connolly demolishes the foundations of positivist social science in a masterful way through a case study examining the futility of Felix Oppenheim's laborious definitions (in supposedly objective language) of such terms as 'power'. This book crystallised why, for me, studying history rather than political "science" is a much more worthwhile pursuit. Very highly recommended.