Philosophy
Nonideal Political Theory and the Criticism of Idealization
Quick fact
The distinction between ideal and nonideal theory was pioneered by John Rawls, but later critics like Charles Mills and Amartya Sen turned it on its head, arguing that ideal theorizing can actually blind us to the injustices that matter most.
Why this is interesting
You've probably heard people say, 'We should focus on what's practical, not just dream up perfect worlds.' Nonideal political theory takes this seriously: it says we should stop building castles in the sky and start fixing the leaky roofs of our own society.