Realism and Political Liberalism in Normative Political Theory

This paper casts light on the dialogue between political realism and John Rawls’s political liberalism. I describe political realism on the basis of contemporary realist currents that attempt to render politics an autonomous sphere of human activity, largely through an investigation of sources of normativity apt for guiding political action. I elaborate on what points realists suggest they conflict with political liberalism, and identify three foundational similarities between the two approaches to the legitimation of political authority which should suggest that political realism ought to consider a consensus view of political legitimacy. First, both approaches to normative political theory emerged from the broader tradition of liberal philosophy. Second, both rest on the premise of a pluralistic society, which has certain normative implications. Third, both are attempts to justify the primacy of the political over the metaphysical. When considered together, these assumptions point to a demand for a theoretical inquiry into a consensus view of realist legitimacy.