Reality and its dreams

"This book tries to argue for both of two theses that some have thought are incompatible, one negative, the other positive. To start with the negative thesis, the book opposes the 'normative turn' in political philosophy: the idea that the right approach to politics is to start from thinking abstractly about our own normative views and apply them to judging political structures, decisions, and events. Rather, the book argues, the study of politics should be focused on the historically and sociologically contextualized sphere of real politics. The second, and positive thesis, is that opposition to the 'normative turn' need not mean the end of utopianism, although that utopianism needs to be re-understood. The utopian impulse is not an attempt to describe a perfect society, but an impulse to think the impossible in politics. That is, it is an attempt to articulate deep-seated desires that cannot be realized under current conditions and to imagine how structures and forms of action that now seem invariant can be changed."--Provided by publisher.

Includes index.

Dystopia: The elements -- Realism and the relativity of judgment -- Chaos and ethics -- Russell Brand, Lady T, Pisher Bob, and Preacher John -- The Idea of a Critical Theory, Forty Years On -- István Hont (1947-2013) -- The moral legacy of Marxism -- Economies: Good, bad, indifferent -- Can the humanities survive neoliberalism? -- Identification and the politics of envy -- Identity, property, and the past -- The future of evil -- Satire, who whom? -- The radioactive world, Pieing, and the Goddess fashion -- What time is it? -- Augustine on love, perspective, and human nature.