Political legitimacy and the pragmatic turn

摘要: This study develops a new philosophical approach to the concept of political legitimacy. It aims account for meaning legitimacy-claims in terms their use practice. Explicating legitimacy practice casts task judgment—assessing whether particular authority is legitimate or not—in different light than established approaches do: it stresses constitutive role and contested character identity, representations authority, uptake narration events. has implications way philosophers theorize about legitimacy: challenges idea general theory that provides moral principles criteria be applied practice, shifts attention instead toward explicating modes involvement judgment requires. Taking as starting point experience subjects confronted by power, drawing on philosophy language developed Robert Brandom, this ‘social-pragmatic’ provide an what we do when take illegitimate. By not with legitimate, but asking so—that is, taking ‘pragmatic turn’—this direction questioning compared On here, illegitimate kind practical stance it: recognize its rule normative, attribute entitlement undertake commitment treat source reasons. Conversely, withhold attribution rule. To say make such explicit. social-pragmatic understanding consequence situating judgment—the assessing (de jure) merely purports so facto)—in midst ongoing engagement. subject involved both enables unsettles judgment, exposing one vulnerability, fallibility, uncertainty inherent features life. Political appears problem can resolved justifying right set criteria, predicament having first-person perspective relation authority; task, rather problem.