Conference paper
NEUTRALIZATION OF THE POLITICAL: A WEBERIAN CRITIQUE OF RAWLS
Tonči Kursar
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The author shows that Rawls’ conception of the overlapping consensus does not apply to value pluralism in general but only to the so-called reasonable pluralism. The author first gives an account of the criticisms directed at Rawls’ neutralization of the political by Gray and Mouffe, and tries to demonstrate that neither of these critiques is entirely valid. A Weberian critique, however, would not display these shortcomings. Weber’s liberalism is based on value pluralism, and its key assumption is that there is no hierarchy of values. Besides, no political concept may escape the fundamental features of political activity – the spoils system or the system of the distribution of political gains and the ethical irrationality. The fundaments of Weber’s liberalism can be found ih his maxim “Become what you are made for!” as well as in the “political characters” that belong to the world of classical liberalism. A political leader is a creator of institutions and liberal communities with which Weber eschews the traditional liberal foundationalism based on natural rights and utilitarianism. Hence his liberalism is the least doctrinaire one because moral issues remain a part of the political conflict.
Keywords
liberalism; neutralization; the political; Rawls; value pluralism; Weber
Hrčak ID:
23294
URI
Publication date:
26.8.2003.
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