Non-Ideal Theory and Political Realism

Realist political theory is often described as a non-ideal type of political theory. However, political realists have recently claimed that such characterization is misleading and inaccurate. While both non-ideal theorists and political realists consider political reality as relevant for normative political theorizing, they do so for different reasons and at different stages of the construction of political theories. In this chapter, the authors explain how non-ideal theory and political realism differ by pointing out the diverse ways in which theory and reality relate in those respective paradigms. First, they recount the theoretical concerns that animate these methodological approaches. Second, they explain the theoretical roles that reality plays in non-ideal theory and in political realism. Third, they unfold the relationship that non-ideal theory and political realism, respectively, entertain with moral and political ideals. Finally, they exemplify the previous methodological discussion with reference to the notion of political progress.