Distinctively Political Normativity in Political Realism: Unattractive or Redundant

Abstract Political realists’ rejection of the so-called ‘ethics first’ approach political moralists (mainstream liberals), has raised concerns about their own source normativity. Some realists have responded to such by theorizing a distinctively According this view, politics is seen as an autonomous, independent domain with its evaluative standards. Therefore, it in source, rather than some moral values ‘outside’ domain, that normative justification should be sought when justice, democracy, legitimacy, and like. For question normativity important, because they take fact distinct affair severe consequences for both how subject matter which principles can justified. Still, had hard time clarifying what consists why, more precisely, matters. The aim paper further steps answering these questions. We argue choice committing themselves one two coherent notions normativity: values, where taken kind instrumental normativity; another distinctness still retains justificatory dependence on values. former notion unattractive since costs commitment will too high (first claim), latter sound but redundant no moralist would ever reject (second claim). Furthermore, we end discussing see most fruitful way approaching theory.