The problems of antagonism: applying liberal political theory to conflict in Northern Ireland[Note 1. The author would like to thank James Martin and ...]

In recent issues of the British Journal of Politics & International Relations a debate has developed between Shane O’Neill and Glen Newey on the role of liberal political theory in resolving conflicts in Northern Ireland. This article argues that the roots of this debate lie in the differing perceptions of the role of political theory that the two protagonists employ. It suggests that O’Neill's Habermasian approach relies on an abstract understanding of political legitimacy and an excessively legalistic approach to dealing with the conflicts that permeate politics in Northern Ireland. However, where Newey's critique focuses on the problems of conflicting rights as they emerge in O’Neill's theory, this article highlights the difficulties that arise from the latter's understanding of rationality when applied to the real problems of antagonism in Northern Ireland. This implies that we need to rethink our expectations of political theory when addressing enduring conflicts and that democratic processes are likely to lead to complex and contingent outcomes rather than ‘rational’ answers to the prevailing antagonisms.