Work

Steelmanning in the Shadow of Iron Swords

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This article argues that the approach to political theory articulated by Shmuel Nili’s Philosophizing the Indefensible needs to be modified to address non-ideal political circumstances in illiberal political societies in deep conflict. Building on Nili’s analysis of Israeli politics as a paradigmatic example, and with the moral catastrophe of October 7 and the Gaza war in mind, I argue that the burdens of politics under these circumstances are likely to make repugnant views commonplace; that worldviewing – the attempt to engage with the strongest version of our interlocutor’s arguments – is an overly charitable exercise, allowing repugnant views to appear non-repugnant; and that, counter-intuitively, the imperative to engage with repugnant views is stronger, not weaker, under these non-ideal circumstances.

Source: Moral Philosophy and Politics

DOI: 10.1515/mopp-2025-0040

Author: Lior Erez

Institution: Centre de Recherches Politiques de Sciences Po

Language: English

Topic: Political Philosophy and Ethics

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,712