Colloquium on Myth, Violence and Unreason in the History of Political Thought

Myth and violence both feature in the first work of political theory: Plato’s Republic. Yet, much of contemporary political theory (especially analytic political theory) sees these subjects as something which stands beyond its purview. On this view, political theory seeks rational answers to identifiable problems. This, however, does not represent the lived experience of the political world: rational answers do not necessarily garner electoral support or manifest political power.