e typically anchored to a specific view of the nature of man, such as Bentham's utilitarian theory, or Aristotle's conception of nature as something consisting in the characteristic excellence of which it is capable.
The most notable developments in political philosophy typically occur at periods of history when political discord is highest (Chaissen, 1987, p. 11). The new developments, such as Marxist thought, are offered as cures for contemporary problems. Analytical philosophy challenges such developments on the grounds that philosophical inquiry is concerned with the conceptual nature of thinking, and, as such, cannot yield any new knowledge of facts, other than those related to the language used to describe known phenomena (Etzioni, 1968, p. 56). In this context, the analytical philosopher views political philosophy as a second order activity, that is (1) concerned with the concepts and methods of political science that cause it to be a branch of the philosophy of science, or (2) concerned with the concepts of political dialog and arguments that cause it to be a branch of the philosophy of language (Weber, 1947, p. 72).
Philosophical criticism in politics explores human commitments in the context of the principals or values accepted by humanity. Such criticism provides a basis for testing the coherency of commitments and values. When incoherency can be demonstrated, choices between values and incompatible commitments may be forced. In the real world, discrepancies between expectations and doctrine invite both criticism and reformulation. In the contemporary world, however, values are often reformed, rather than commitments.
That which begins as an exercise to realign principles with accepted contemporary practices also provides a basis for the development of new practices (Schmid and Wuketits, 1987, p. 43). Thus, in the future, it may once again become necessary to realign principles to conform with the then conte...