Political theory methods and approaches (Oxford University Press, 2008)
Includes bibliographical references (pages 216-219) and index
Introduction / David Leopold and Marc Stears -- Analytical political philosophy / Daniel McDermott -- Political philosophy for Earthlings / David Miller -- Political theory, social science, and real politics / Adam Swift and Stuart White -- Why be formal? / Iwao Hirose -- Recognition as fact and norm : the method of critique / Lois McNay -- Dialectical approaches / David Leopold -- Political theory and history / Mark Philp -- Using archival sources to theorize about politics / Sudhir Hazareesingh and Karma Nabulsi -- Political theory and the boundaries of politics / Elizabeth Frazer -- Thinking politically and thinking about politics : language, interpretation, and ideology / Michael Freeden
Lively introduction to the many interesting ways to do political theory in the 21st century. - ;Political theorists are too often silent on questions of method and approach. David Leopold and Marc Stears have assembled a distinguished group of contributors to break that silence and to explain and defend the research methods they utilise in their own work. The result is a rich and varied collection which does not suggest that there is only one right way to conduct political theory, but rather introduces readers to many of the often unelaborated methods and approaches that currently inform the work of leading scholars in the field. Amongst the topics covered are the complex and contested connections between political theory and a range of adjacent disciplines - including moral philosophy, the empirical social sciences, the history of political thought, the world of 'real' politics, critical social theory, and ideology. Both individually and as a collection, these essays will promote understanding and provoke further debate amongst students and established scholars alike. They will be encouraged to reflect on their own methodological assumptions, to re-examine the practical tools of analysis they employ, and to re-evaluate why the research they do matters