In Search of Rational Validity and Motivation: A Critique of William E. Connolly in the Ethical Turn

• 발행기관: 한국아메리카학회
• 저자명: Jin-gon Park
• 간행물 정보: 『미국학논집』제56집 2호, 177~196쪽, 전체 20쪽
• 주제분류: 인문학 > 기타인문학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2024.09.30

국문 초록

Through writings such as The Ethos of Pluralization and Why I am Not a Secularist, the American political theorist William E. Connolly has played a pivotal role in the “ethical turn” in contemporary political theory. Believing in the need for ethics in improving democratic politics, Connolly presents “critical responsiveness” toward any newly emerging cultural identity as an indispensable civic virtue for all democratic citizens. Unlike the extant criticisms on Connolly’s ethical writings, this paper discusses their deficiency in terms of reason, validity, and motivation. First, I point out that the validity of his normative demand for the cultivation of critical responsiveness has not yet been established through a convincing rational argument. Second, I argue that even if Connolly’s ethics of critical responsiveness is indeed valid his reluctance for articulating a sound rational ground for his ethics can still be criticized for precluding the possibility of rationally, non-manipulatively motivating citizens toward ethical self-cultivation he so desires.

목차

Ⅰ. Introduction

Ⅱ. The Ethics of Critical Responsiveness

Ⅲ. Validity

Ⅳ. Motivation for Ethical Self-cultivation

Ⅴ. Bypassing the Issue of Motivation: Micropolitics

Ⅵ. Conclusion

Works Cited

키워드

William E. Connolly the ethical turn critical responsiveness validity motivation