Idékritik och statsvetenskapens nytta

Abstract

Critical Analysis of Ideologies and the Usefulness of Political Science. Herbert Tingsten's program for the critical analysis of ideologies promised to make political science more useful for understanding current political developments. However, in this article it is argued that these promises cannot be sustained unless normative political analysis is included as well. A point elaborated, is that there is a close analogy between normative political analysis and public policy evaluation. In both cases, the aim is mainly to illuminate the implications and consequences of certain values and ideals - not to prove them. In this sense, the usefulness of normative research is evident in that it enlarges and deepens our understanding of the values and principles to which we are committed.