ABSTRACT
Many students of politics tend to shy away from studying political theory or philosophy. They frequently complain that it is abstract, dealing with ideas and arguments that seem remote from the realities of day-to-day political discussion and activity. In fact, however, theoretical issues underpin political debates. Whether those involved are aware of it or not, differences of opinion on contemporary political issues often reflect deeper theoretical debates on matters that have concerned students of politics for a very long time. These matters, which we refer to as ‘enduring questions’ about politics, include questions relating to such issues as the nature and limits of liberty, the desirability and achievability of equality, the proper role of the state, the nature of democracy and many more. These sorts of issue are the stuff of political theory, but they also frame debates and underlie arguments in politics. It should be noted that the questions raised in these areas are mainly normative. That is to say, they concern values; they relate to what ought to he the case rather than what is the case. It is a characteristic of normative statements that they are incapable of disproof – there is no ‘right’ answer – and that is why debates about them continue. Thus if someone believes that the government ought to abolish student tuition fees, then that is a value judgement and is not, in itself, either true or false. The contrast is with positive statements – statements of fact. Thus, if it is claimed that the government has raised x million pounds from tuition fees, then that can be easily checked and shown to be either true or false.
