William E. Connolly: Democracy, Pluralism and Political Theory

by Samuel Chambers (Editor), Terrell Carver (Editor)

Overview

William E. Connolly’s writings have pushed the leading edge of political theory, first in North America and then in Europe as well, for more than two decades now. This book draws on his numerous influential books and articles to provide a coherent and comprehensive overview of his significant contribution to the field of political theory.

The book focuses in particular on three key areas of his thinking:

• Democracy: his work in democratic theory – through his critical challenges to the traditions of Rawlsian theories of justice and Habermasian theories of deliberative democracy – has spurred the creation of a fertile and powerful new literature
• Pluralism: Connolly's work utterly transformed the terrain of the field by helping to resignify pluralism: from a conservative theory of order based on the status quo into a radical theory of democratic contestation based on a progressive political vision
• The Terms of Political Theory: Connolly has changed the language in which Anglo-American political theory is spoken, and entirely shuffled the pack with which political theorists work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415431224
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/13/2007
Series:	Routledge Innovators in Political Theory
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Samuel A. Chambers is Senior Lecturer in Politics at Swansea University, where he teaches political theory and cultural politics. He writes broadly in contemporary thought, including work on language, culture, and the politics of gender and sexuality.

Terrell Carver is Professor of Political Theory at the University of Bristol, UK. He has published extensively on theoretical issues relevant to sex, gender and sexuality.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Connolly’s Innovations Part 1: The Theory of Pluralism 1. The Challenge to Pluralist Theory (1969) 2. Pluralization (1995) 3. Fundamentalism in America (1995) 4. Deep Pluralism (2005) 5. Post-Sovereign Pluralist Politics (2005) Part 2: Agonistic Democracy 6. Confessing Identity/Belonging to Difference (1991) 7. Agonism and Liberalism (1991) 8. Agonism and Democracy (1991) 9. Beyond the Moral Imperative (1993) 10. An Ethos of Engagement (2000) Part 3: The Terms of Political Theory 11. Essentially Contested Concepts (1974) 12. The Order of Modernity (1988) 13. Taylor, Foucault and Truth (1985) 14. White Noise (2005) 15. Twilight of the Idols (1995) 16. An Interview with William Connolly

Editorial Reviews

'I would strongly encourage those who do not know Connolly’s work to buy this book.'
Anthony F. Lang, University of St Andrews, UK

"Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate and graduate collections." - CHOICE, Nov 2008 Vol. 46 No. 03

From the Publisher