Language and Political Theory: Weldon's Vocabulary of Politics Revisited

• Published in: Philosophy of the social sciences Vol. 5; no. 1; pp. 17 - 31
• Main Author: Albritton, Robert R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Publications 01.03.1975; Sage Periodicals Press
• Subjects: Criticism/Critique (see also Critic); Language/Languages; Political/Politically/ Politicalization (see also Politics); Politics; Theory/Theories/Theorem/ Theorizing; Vocabulary
• ISSN: 0048-3931; 1552-7441
• DOI: 10.1177/004839317500500102

T. D. Weldon's VOCABULARY OF POLITICS (Baltimore, Md: 1953) should be analyzed, not for its truth, but for its errors. Weldon's political philosophy can be categorized as 'conservative nominalism'. According to him, much of political philosophy is valueless, as it is based on an underlying misunderstanding of the nature of language; ordinary word usage evolves & meaning cannot be changed (or interpreted) by individuals. Weldon does not delineate the grammar of words to establish their ordinary use; he intuits 'ordinary use' & claims that his evolved meaning is 'ordinary useage'. Game theory is used to suppress concern over whose interests are being served by redefining political words to make them appear 'nonpuzzling'. Scientific theory cannot be applied to political problems & foundations are useless. Weldon avoids political theory by relegating politics to the activities of statesmen & the institutions of power in which they participate. Weldon's political theory attempts to avoid political conflict & ensure selective change through exclusion of the masses from politics & political thought. For Weldon, the world is a world of games & the role of the political scientist is to appraise the play with Weldon's own criteria "which is the tradition of discourse called 'political science'." T. Babitsky.