Contents -- 1 An Eclectic Subject -- Foundations -- Theory and Politics -- Pattern of the Book -- PART ONE -- 2 We Have a Firm Foundation -- Classical Normative Political Theory -- Institutional Political Theory -- Historical Political Theory -- Empirical Political Theory -- Ideological Political Theory -- Conclusion -- PART TWO -- 3 Foundations Shaken but Not Stirred -- Logical Positivism -- Ordinary Language -- A Digression on Death and Putrefaction -- Wittgenstein and Essential Contestability -- A Reckoning with Essential Contestability -- Conclusion -- 4 Bleached Foundations -- The Concept of Justice -- Conceptions of Justice -- Procedural Theories -- Social Justice: Desert and Non-Desert -- Justice and Mutual Advantage -- Justice and Utility -- Justice as Impartiality -- Sexual Justice -- Spheres of Justice -- Conclusion -- PART THREE -- 5 Shoring Up Foundations -- Conventions -- Oakeshott and Conventionalism -- Communitarianism -- Political Liberalism -- Conclusion -- 6 New Conventions for Old -- Nationalism -- Neo-Aristotelianism -- Republicanism -- Conclusion -- PART FOUR -- 7 Segmented Foundations and Pluralism -- A Word about Pluralism -- Liberal Pluralism -- Multicultural Pluralism -- Difference Pluralism -- Conclusion -- 8 Standing Problems -- Nietzsche and the Twilight of the Idols -- Heidegger and Humanism -- Derrida and Foucault -- Rorty and Connolly -- Lyotard and the Differend -- Conclusion -- PART FIVE -- 9 Dialogic Foundations -- The Philosophical Context -- Critical Theory -- Critical Theory Fulfilled -- Positivism and Knowledge Spheres -- The Critique of Foundationalism and the Subject -- Universal Pragmatics and Fallibilism -- Discourse Ethics and Deliberative Democracy -- Conclusion -- 10 Circular Foundations -- The Hermeneutic Context -- Language, History, and Prejudice -- Enlightenment and Positivism.

Dialogue and Fusion -- Ethics and Politics -- A Dialogic Confiict -- Conclusion -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y.