Political philosophy too often reflects a utopian tendency to seek a political ideal and the best ways and means for achieving it. This desire overlooks the fundamental theoretical barriers to finding answers to the questions it raises.

Nicholas Rescher (1928–2024) was Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh and a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center on Culture and Civil Society at the Independent Institute.
Government and PoliticsLaw and LibertyPhilosophy and ReligionPolitical Theory
Other Independent Review articles by Nicholas Rescher
Summer 2021 On Editorial Varnish
Winter 2017/18 Early RAND as a Talent Incubator: An Extraordinary Experiment
Winter 2014/15 The Case for Cautious Conservatism