Towards Interpretive Political Science. Charles Taylor’s Approach and the Controversy Over the Identity of Political Inquiry.

Abstract

The article is an intervention into the ongoing debate about the identity of political science. Drawing on the views of Charles Taylor, it argues for the interpretive model of political science. Interpretive political science maintains that (1) political practices and institutions are constituted by intersubjective meaning; (2) it is impossible to draw a clear-cut distinction between normative and empirical theory since any non-trivial political theory is bound to reveal some value slope. The article argues that the interpretative approach not only can provide a better explanation of current research practice within political science but also opens promising vistas for future research.