Political Philosophy’s Chmess Problem

The author argues modern Anglophone political philosophy often studies 'political chmess'—elegant models built on unrealistic 'ideal theory' assumptions like Rawls’s 'reasonable agents' and 'strict compliance.' These frameworks generate intricate proofs about a world no one inhabits, diverting attention from noncompliance, incentives, and institutional constraints that govern real politics. — If the discipline’s dominant models are misaligned with reality, policymakers and publics should discount their prescriptions and demand non‑ideal, institution‑aware analysis.