Michael Walzer and the Critical Connection

This paper explores Michael Walzer's vision of social criticism in view of his theoretical and historical work on justice and politics. Concentrating on the concept of shared understandings and political participation, I argue that Walzer's early theoretical work leads directly to his more...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Roberts, Tyler T. (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
Vérifier la disponibilité: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Publié: 1994
Dans: Journal of religious ethics
Année: 1994, Volume: 22, Numéro: 2, Pages: 333-353
Accès en ligne: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Résumé:This paper explores Michael Walzer's vision of social criticism in view of his theoretical and historical work on justice and politics. Concentrating on the concept of shared understandings and political participation, I argue that Walzer's early theoretical work leads directly to his more recent emphasis on the connectedness of the social critic and his insistence that the critic must appeal to the common language and beliefs of the community he or she criticizes. The primary question I raise is whether Walzer ultimately places too much emphasis on forms of immanent critique. I explore this question by turning to the work of Sharon Welch and Cornel West. Both thinkers offer visions of social criticism that avoid the universalism and detachment Walzer criticizes, but their understanding of marginalization and their involvement in religious communities allows them more critical distance than Walzer allows.
ISSN:1467-9795
Contient:Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics