Methods and Methodology in Political Philosophy (or Should That Be Political Theory?)

Methods in political philosophy are more often talked about than written about, much to the frustration of anyone trying to write the ‘methodology’ section of their latest dissertation, thesis, or grant proposal. Why though exactly is that? Is it perhaps because philosophers think there are as many methods as there are arguments in our field, meaning methods-talk makes no sense? Or is it that they think any method used is also a method chosen, meaning methods-talk hides the real values or indeed politics involved? Either way, they would be wrong. Methods matter, and thinking about them, and thus doing methodology, helps us in at least two important ways. First, because doing so makes us better at what we already want to do, as we refine familiar techniques and open up new ones, making us more politically effective. Second, because, doing so helps us figure out whether we should want to do what we already want to do, as we compare our current task to others on offer, making us more philosophically reflective. Far then from being a detour away from real political theory, enforced by the agendas of others, methodology is political philosophy at its most fundamental.