Michael Joseph Oakeshott’ın Siyaset Felsefesi Ve Siyasette Rasyonalizm

Abstract

In this study; it was examined that the political philosophy and rationalism understanding in politics of Michael Oakeshott who is accepted as one of the most important political theorists of our age; who is hard to be classified according to the present categories such as “conservative”, “liberal”, “idealist”, “traditionalist”, “historian”, “individualist”, who has not got a traditional belief, but is a traditionalist, who does not recognise liberalism, yet is a complete lover of liberty with the civil association theory he devoloped; who put forths that the individual is a historical achievement and in this context prefers Hegel to Locke, and in this context his experience and philosophical theory, rationalism criticism and civil association understanding. In introduction section, it was tried to be explained what the problem subject to this study, the basic searching and distinctive points of Oakeshott’s philosophy are. In the first section, it was handled and tried to be explained what the background of Oakeshott consideration, the experience and philosophy standpoint forming the basic of his consideration, and finally the relations between philosophical and non-philosphical experiences are. In addition, a deep analysis of Oakeshott’s Experience and Its Modes was conducted. In the second chapter, it was handled that the early period studies on political philosphy of Oakeshott who considers philosophy not as an ideological activity, but as an explanatory, explicatory activity, what he put forth about the concept of political philosophy and his consideration about which way philosophical research related to politics in twentieth century should be directed. Besides, how he applied the idea of philosophy to the problems of politics and law philosophy and his findings related to the nature of political philosophy were also discussed. In the third chapter, the emphasis was laid on Oakeshott’s rationalism critics, his explanation of practical -essentially moral and political- activity. It was tried to be put forward how the basic problems in politics ground on rationalist belief are, how it was considered upon rationalism critics and how the tradition was used for its solution. In addition, the analyses of his opinions were carried out within the context of rationalist and irrationalist politics. In the fourth chapter, how civil association theory which is the basic of Oakeshott’s political philosophy, is accepted as the restatement of liberalism, is considered as a non-instrumental moral practice, is detailed within the context of soceitas and universitas overcomes the basic problems of liberalism was examined. And in the result chapter, the contribution which the opinions set forth by Oakeshott made to political philosophy and the opportunities provided by them were discussed.