Normative Political Theory and Ethics: against Relativism

Abstract

In the spirit of progress, this chapter seeks to establish what normativepolitical theory might offer us today. There is no inevitability in history,as understood in the nineteenth century. Yet ‘postmodern’ relativismis unsatisfactory. What combination of ethics and politics cansuggest an alternative vision, other than that of globalised anarchy(Gray, 1998)? Ethics is defined as the basis for the moral framework forsocial and economic arrangements which are capable of realising valueswhich command wide assent. The concept of the ‘ideal observer’ inethics, which allows us to abstract from reality to identify the implicationsof these values, may be relevant here (Firth, 1952).