Handby, Edmund. Defending Methodological Anarchism in Empirically Informed Political Theory, The Journal of Politics (Online First)

The use of empirical facts in normative political theorising is now central to contemporary political theory. This tradition – empirically informed political theory – draws on facts about political behaviour and institutions while retaining a normative dimension. In doing so, theorists draw from an extensive range of methods from political and social science, such as large-scale behavioural data and case studies. Due to the extensive range of methods available to political theorists, however, various studies outline principles and criteria for determining which methods are ‘appropriate’ for political theory. These studies seek to ‘systematise’ the use of empirical methods. I draw on Feyerabend’s methodological anarchism to defend the ‘de-systematisation’ of the use of such methods. I argue that political theorists should instead pursue any method they see as appropriate or interesting, such as those from political and social science, as well as the physical sciences of biology, physics, and astronomy.

Rutledge-Prior, Serrin and Edmund Handby. Political Representation, the Environment, and Edmund Burke: A Re-Reading of the Western Canon Through the Lens of Multispecies Justice, European Journal of Political Theory (2024) vol. 24(4), pp 578-598.

A major puzzle in contemporary political theory is how to extend notions of justice to the environment. With environmental entities unable to communicate in ways that are traditionally recognised within the political sphere, their interests have largely been recognised instrumentally: only important as they contribute to human interests. In response to the multispecies justice project’s call to reimagine our concepts of justice to include other-than-human beings and entities, we offer a novel reading of Edmund Burke’s account of political representation that, we argue, can be applied to the environment. Burke claimed that interests are ‘unattached’ to any actual class or group, and that it is the duty of the representative to represent these unattached interests. Beyond providing an original application of Burke’s work, the paper offers an alternative to the ‘allure’ of authoritarian environmentalism, an alternative which conservative thinkers may use as an entryway into debates on environmental justice.

Handby, Edmund. Semantic Externalism and the History of Ideas: A Critical Review, Journal of the Philosophy of History (2024) vol. 18(1), pp. 1-21.

A recent innovation in the study of methods in the history of ideas is the introduction of elements of semantic externalism from the philosophy of language. Studies that rely on semantic externalism have done so to address particular questions of method in political theorising, including the interpretation of ‘essentially contested concepts’, and the issue of relativism in historical contextualism. In this paper, I critically review the use of semantic externalism, and associated methods such as Kripke’s causal theory of reference, in the history of ideas. I explore the barriers that might prevent the use of externalism, and how studies relying on externalism seek to overcome such barriers. I then assess both the implications of relying on externalism, as well as a set of limitations.

Handby, Edmund. Editorial to Special Issue: Do Actions Speak Louder than Thoughts? Normative Behaviourism Reconsidered, Political Studies Review (2023) vol. 21(3), pp. 437-440.

This Editorial introduces the symposium ‘Do Actions Speak Louder Than Thoughts? Normative Behaviourism Reconsidered’, which revisits a contribution to political philosophy methodology, Floyd’s Is Political Philosophy Impossible: Thoughts and Behaviour in Normative Political Theory. I briefly outline each of the contributions, as well as paving the way for Floyd’s response.

Handby, Edmund. Book Review: Teaching Political Theory: A Pluralistic Approach. By Tampio, Nicholas (Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2022), Journal of Political Science Education (2023) vol. 19(3), pp. 526-529.

Handby, Edmund. Assessing the Use of Intuitions in Contemporary Political Theory, The Journal of Politics (2022) vol. 84(3), pp. 1595-1606.

This article extends recent scholarship on the use of intuitions in contemporary political theory, specifically, the lack of detail on how our intuitions are affected by context. I demonstrate that intuitions are shaped by various features of the world, including political institutions, political actors, and the contingent life history of individuals. As intuitions are shaped by these features of the world, via cognitive shortcuts and heuristics, there is greater scope for intuitions to be biased. I identify three ways that intuitions can be biased: (1) parochialism, in which intuitions are shaped by the country or city of residence; (2) endogeneity, in which the motives of political actors feed into intuitions via institutions; and (3) idiosyncrasy, in which intuitions are contingent on the random life history of individuals. I conclude by arguing that political theory’s reliance on intuitions requires greater attention to techniques in fields such as survey methods to avoid such biases.

Handby, Edmund. Classroom Games to Teach Contemporary Political Theory, Journal of Political Science Education (2021) vol. 17(S1), pp. 23-31.

The use of games and simulation pedagogy has proliferated across political science and international relations, yet remains fledgling in political theory. Irrespective of discipline, the benefit of games and simulations is well established. However, existing simulations in political philosophy tend to address the teaching of the history of ideas, and historical theorists, rather than contemporary political theory. In this paper, I contribute to the increasing use of classroom games in contemporary political theory. I detail two specific classroom games designed for a course at an Australian university. These games address applied issues in contemporary political theory: equality of opportunity, and the right to just remuneration. Specifically, the games are designed to teach Cohen and Swift’s respective conceptions of equality of opportunity, and Van Parijs, Walzer, and Miller on the right to just remuneration. I first set out the design and implementation of the activities, together with possible improvements for instructors. I then address the broader role of classroom games to teach political theory, before concluding by reporting on student feedback.

Handby, Edmund. The Survival and Tenure of Australian Attorneys-General, Commonwealth and Comparative Politics (2020) vol. 58(2), pp 162-183.

Policy outcomes in parliamentary systems can be affected by the characteristics of those appointed to executive positions. Research into the survival of ministerial appointments emphasise institutional factors, personal, and professional characteristics. There is, however, less attention paid to how the specific features of a portfolio affect ministerial survival. I address this gap by examining Australian Attorneys-General, to highlight how the duration of ministerial appointments depends on the features of the position. I find that a specific understanding of a portfolio can affect ministerial survival and that the survival of Australian Attorneys-General is shaped by the specifics of the portfolio.