Abstract:
The idea of the good society is a staple of political philosophy on the Left. It has taken many forms but it may in fact be more of a hindrance in the practice of politics than most people on the Left acknowledge. As someone who has been a political philosopher and a practitioner there has always seemed to be very little relation between the two disciplines. But what is political philosophy for if not to inform the conduct of politics? It is, to be sure, about imagination, critique and legitimation too. But in the end the point, as Marx said, "is to change the world".
