Wittgenstein and the Study of Politics

In Wittgenstein and the Study of Politics, Michael Temelini outlines an innovative new approach to understanding the political implications of Wittgenstein's philosophy. Most political philosophers who have approached Wittgenstein have done so through the idea of therapeutic skepticism, implying politics that privilege conservatism or non-interference. Temelini interprets Wittgenstein differently, emphasizing his view that we come to understand the meanings of words and actions through a dialogue of comparison with other cases. Examining the work of Charles Taylor, Quentin Skinner, and James Tully, Temelini highlights the ways in which all three, despite their differences, share a common debt to that dialogical approach. A cogent explanation of how Wittgenstein's epistemology and ontology can shed light on political issues and offer a solution to political challenges, Wittgenstein and the Study of Politics highlights the importance of Wittgensteinian thinking in contemporary political science, political theory, and political philosophy.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. Therapy, Scepticism, and Leaving the World Alone 2. The Primacy of Training in a Shared Form of Life 3. Wittgenstein’s Method of Perspicuous Representation 4. Charles Taylor’s Wittgensteinian Aspects 5. Quentin Skinner: Wittgenstein and the Historical Approach to Political Thought          6. James Tully’s Aspectival Approach to the Study of Politics

About the Author :
Michael Temelini is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Concordia University and a part-time professor in the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa.

Review :
‘Temelini does an excellent demolition job on the second-raters who for far too long have dominated the reception of Wittgenstein in political thought, such as the woeful conservative readers of Wittgenstein.’ - Juliette Harkin & Rupert Read (Review of Politics vol 78:02:16) ‘In this valuable book, Temelini offers a comparative dialogical reading of Charles Taylor, Quentin Skinner, and James Tully on Wittgenstein’s positive political thought…Important for political theorists and scholars of Wittgenstein.’ - M.W. Wetsmoreland (Choice Magazine vol 53:04:2015) “Wittgenstein and the Study of Politics will appeal both to political theorists who are interested in the resources offered by Wittgenstein and to those seeking to get a grip on the style of political theorizing practised by Taylor, Skinner, and Tully.” - David Owen, Professor of Social and Political Philosophy, Division of Politics and International Relations, University of Southampton