Realism and utopianism. The case of Machiavelli
Boris Kapustin
Moscow: Gaidar Institute Press, 2026. – 232 p.
ISBN 978-5-93255-711-2
What is political realism: recording facts or understanding hidden trends? And is utopia an impossible dream or a call capable of transforming the world? Finally, is there a place for morality in politics? The book answers these questions through the prism of Machiavelli's legacy. The author presents him not as an advisor to rulers, but as a moralist, utopian, and “people's tribune.” Dialogue with this Machiavelli allows the author to explore the key concepts of “utopian realism,” “performative utopia,” and “political ontology of morality.”
The book is intended for anyone interested in contemporary political theory.
Scientific publication
Reviewers:
O.V. Gaman-Golutvina, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Political Science, Head of the Department of MGIMO under the Russian Foreign Ministry, Professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, President of the Russian Academy of Political Science.
M.M. Fedorova, Doctor of Political Science, Head of History of Political Philosophy Department, Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.