Trust the People! Populism and the Two Faces of Democracy

Populism, understood as an appeal to 'the people' against both the established structure of power and the dominant ideas and values, should not be dismissed as a pathological form of politics of no interest to the political theorist, for its democratic pretensions raise important issues. Adapting Michael Oakeshott's distinction between 'the politics of faith' and 'the politics of scepticism', the paper offers an analysis of democracy in terms of two opposing faces, one 'pragmatic' and the other 'redemptive', and argues that it is the inescapable tension between them that makes populism a perennial possibility.     

On Being Economical with the Truth: Some Liberal Reflections

Although a commitment to free discussion of all issues is one of the traditional pillars of liberalism, contemporary liberals may be justified in feeling uneasy when their principle of universal human rights is publicly challenged in the name of ethnic community. For in spite of liberalism's reputation for rationalism, its principles rely upon a substantial element of myth which does not stand up well to public scrutiny. Liberals would be wise to become more conscious of this 'mythical' component in their outlook. This would protect them against political naivety and its consequent disillusionment. It would also help them to respond more appropriately to right-wing critics, by relying less on rationalism and more on tactics borrowed from conservatism.     

Sleeping Dogs, Prowling Cats and Soaring Doves: Three Paradoxes in the Political Theory of Nationhood

This article examines three paradoxes concerning nationhood and nationalism in which political theorists have become entangled. Until recently most mainstream political theorists ignored nationhood. In constructing their own theories, however, they tacitly relied upon it to supply the polity with boundaries, solidarity and collective power. More recent attempts to defend national self-determination on liberal grounds have proved self-defeating, containing perverse incentives to illiberal actions and appearing to authorize neo-imperial tutelage. But cosmopolitan anti-nationalists also find themselves in a paradoxical position, since nation-states provide the indispensable launching-pad for attempts to transcend nationalism.