This chapter focuses on the reflections on empire, nation, and race produced by three classically... more This chapter focuses on the reflections on empire, nation, and race produced by three classically trained and rather atypical Afrikaner intellectuals: J. H. Hofmeyr, T. J. Haarhoff, and Martin Versfeld. The background of these three men in the thought and history of the Greeks and Romans allowed them to formulate distinctive outlooks concerning empire, nationalism, and, to a lesser extent, race. Their work may be understood as a ‘competing discourse’ on the official analogy frequently drawn between Roman and British Imperialism,
This is an uncorrected draft of a review essay that has just appeared, discussing two recent work... more This is an uncorrected draft of a review essay that has just appeared, discussing two recent works - Intellectual History in South Africa: Ideas, Individuals and Institutions, edited by Peter Vale, Lawrence Hamilton, and Estelle Prinsloo, and Saul Dubow's South Africa's Struggle for Human Rights. The essay argues for a closer engagement with the discursive context of political ideas in South Africa, and for the value of three interpretive frames - imperialism, human rights, and modernity - as supplements to the moderate multiculturalism that characterizes the Vale collection.
This paper assesses the claim that strong and decisive executive leadership is both necessary and... more This paper assesses the claim that strong and decisive executive leadership is both necessary and desirable in liberal democracies. In the first two sections of the essay, I begin by identifying eight tensions that exist between the idea of leadership and the central commitments of liberal democracy. These provide reasons for skepticism concerning calls for stronger political leadership, but do not count against all conceptions of leadership. In the third section of the paper, I argue for a conception of political leadership that is more compatible with liberal democracy.
This paper argues that the study of political leadership needs to adopt a critical and historical... more This paper argues that the study of political leadership needs to adopt a critical and historical perspective on the focus on leadership. I argue, first, that a concern with political leadership is a relatively recent phenomenon, replacing earlier concern with political authority, and reflecting the growing influence of a 'democratic' commitment to 'the career open to talents'. The career of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Napoleonic Legend play a major role in shaping the new idea of political leadership - as concerned with personality, charisma, and military or executive decisiveness. This Bonapartist or Caesarist model of leadership undermines the initial democratic promise of the modern idea of political leadership. I close by arguing that a focus on governance - on offices and the duties associated with them - should replace an unhealthy interest in political leadership.
This is a presentation of a defensive and minimalist conception of moral universalism, aimed at a... more This is a presentation of a defensive and minimalist conception of moral universalism, aimed at avoiding "projection error". The paper includes a critical discussion of Seyla Benhabib's "'Nous' et les 'Autres'".
Review Essay of Eric Michaud, The Cult of Art in Nazi Germany and Jeffrey T. Schnapp, Building Fa... more Review Essay of Eric Michaud, The Cult of Art in Nazi Germany and Jeffrey T. Schnapp, Building Fascism, Communism and Liberal Democracy: Gaetano Ciocca - Architect, Inventor, Farmer, Writer, Engineer.
This paper is a critique of the proposal to issue "torture warrants". It begins by presenting an ... more This paper is a critique of the proposal to issue "torture warrants". It begins by presenting an account of the moral evil of torture, then offers a critique of proposals to legalize limited forms of interrogational torture, and concludes by considering political responses to known individual cases of torture.
This chapter focuses on the reflections on empire, nation, and race produced by three classically... more This chapter focuses on the reflections on empire, nation, and race produced by three classically trained and rather atypical Afrikaner intellectuals: J. H. Hofmeyr, T. J. Haarhoff, and Martin Versfeld. The background of these three men in the thought and history of the Greeks and Romans allowed them to formulate distinctive outlooks concerning empire, nationalism, and, to a lesser extent, race. Their work may be understood as a ‘competing discourse’ on the official analogy frequently drawn between Roman and British Imperialism,
This is an uncorrected draft of a review essay that has just appeared, discussing two recent work... more This is an uncorrected draft of a review essay that has just appeared, discussing two recent works - Intellectual History in South Africa: Ideas, Individuals and Institutions, edited by Peter Vale, Lawrence Hamilton, and Estelle Prinsloo, and Saul Dubow's South Africa's Struggle for Human Rights. The essay argues for a closer engagement with the discursive context of political ideas in South Africa, and for the value of three interpretive frames - imperialism, human rights, and modernity - as supplements to the moderate multiculturalism that characterizes the Vale collection.
This paper assesses the claim that strong and decisive executive leadership is both necessary and... more This paper assesses the claim that strong and decisive executive leadership is both necessary and desirable in liberal democracies. In the first two sections of the essay, I begin by identifying eight tensions that exist between the idea of leadership and the central commitments of liberal democracy. These provide reasons for skepticism concerning calls for stronger political leadership, but do not count against all conceptions of leadership. In the third section of the paper, I argue for a conception of political leadership that is more compatible with liberal democracy.
This paper argues that the study of political leadership needs to adopt a critical and historical... more This paper argues that the study of political leadership needs to adopt a critical and historical perspective on the focus on leadership. I argue, first, that a concern with political leadership is a relatively recent phenomenon, replacing earlier concern with political authority, and reflecting the growing influence of a 'democratic' commitment to 'the career open to talents'. The career of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Napoleonic Legend play a major role in shaping the new idea of political leadership - as concerned with personality, charisma, and military or executive decisiveness. This Bonapartist or Caesarist model of leadership undermines the initial democratic promise of the modern idea of political leadership. I close by arguing that a focus on governance - on offices and the duties associated with them - should replace an unhealthy interest in political leadership.
This is a presentation of a defensive and minimalist conception of moral universalism, aimed at a... more This is a presentation of a defensive and minimalist conception of moral universalism, aimed at avoiding "projection error". The paper includes a critical discussion of Seyla Benhabib's "'Nous' et les 'Autres'".
Review Essay of Eric Michaud, The Cult of Art in Nazi Germany and Jeffrey T. Schnapp, Building Fa... more Review Essay of Eric Michaud, The Cult of Art in Nazi Germany and Jeffrey T. Schnapp, Building Fascism, Communism and Liberal Democracy: Gaetano Ciocca - Architect, Inventor, Farmer, Writer, Engineer.
This paper is a critique of the proposal to issue "torture warrants". It begins by presenting an ... more This paper is a critique of the proposal to issue "torture warrants". It begins by presenting an account of the moral evil of torture, then offers a critique of proposals to legalize limited forms of interrogational torture, and concludes by considering political responses to known individual cases of torture.
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Papers by Jonathan Allen