Political Theory, Political Education, and the University

In chapter 5 (“Political Theory, Political Education, and the University”), Lucy Cane examines Wolin’s understanding of university education as a starting point for democratization. Wolin defends a broad ideal of liberal arts education. Using this ideal as a lens, Cane examines the role of political theory. In “Political Theory as a Vocation” (1969), Wolin offers a high-flown account of “epic” political theory. This argument sits uneasily with his broader ideal of education in three ways. First, it is unclear whether an “epic” political theory could be truly democratic. Second, Wolin ties political education to a Western canon. Finally, in describing political theory as a “vocation,” he may obscure politico-economic questions. Chapter 5 explores how Wolin negotiates these three issues over time. First, Cane argues that, through his formulation of “polymorphous” democracy, Wolin realizes that a prescriptive democratic theory cannot be “epic.” Despite this evolution, he remains wedded to a canonical tradition. His suspicion of new theoretical perspectives is evident in his critique of “postmodernism.” Cane turns to Edward Said for a “worldly” form of humanism, which draws on more eclectic sources. Finally, she argues that Wolin does move away from a romanticized notion of the “vocation,” thus opening up urgent questions related to the political economy of universities.