Contemporary social ontology is a rapidly growing but divided area of study. In Nonideal Social Ontology, Asa Burman provides a systematic overview and synthesis of core ideas in the field by showing that its key questions and central dividing lines can be fruitfully reconstructed as a clash between ideal and nonideal social ontology. Burman argues for the use of nonideal theory in social ontology, claiming that a paradigm shift from ideal to nonideal social ontology is underway, and that this shift should be fully followed through. Burman offers a new theory, called the Power View, of nonideal social ontology. It uses social power as the central building block, showing how this can partly bridge the divide between ideal and nonideal social ontology. The Power View replaces the flat and narrow conception of social power in ideal social ontology with a richer and more extensive conception. In addition, it rectifies a shortcoming in other theories of nonideal social ontology by attending to class, which has been notably overlooked in that literature.

About the Author
Asa Burman (formerly Andersson) is Reader in Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University and an affiliated researcher at the Institute for Futures Studies. She is an editor of the Journal of Social Ontology. She holds a Ph.D. from Lund University in Sweden and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

Reviews
This monograph is written with great clarity and with intelligent use of arguments and recent literature. * Sandro Guli, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, The Philosophical Quarterly *
Burman's Nonideal Social Ontology is an exceptional book. It combines plain language with deep philosophical reflection about substantive matters: mainly, the influence of gender, race and class in society and how we can spell it out...Burman's book is an important philosophical contribution. * Miguel Garcia-Godinez, Analysis *



Book Information
ISBN 9780197509579
Author Asa Burman
Format Hardback
Page Count 248
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 422g
Dimensions(mm) 217mm * 145mm * 21mm