3

One of the main tasks of normative political theory is to imagine and defend fairer alternatives to the current economic and social system. To this end, researchers must necessarily speculate on the nature of possible, but yet non-existent, alternative scenarios. Through the study of a relatively recent branch of contemporary political theory (the political theory of finance), this article aims to explore a general question: what should be the attitude of the researcher towards the necessary empirical uncertainties inherent in his or her task? Along the way, the article identifies three main problems facing the literature: a lack of clarity and rigour in the definition of the alternatives studied, a high level of uncertainty concerning the expected effects of these alternatives, and a problematic relationship between the choice of the alternative defended and the normative assessment of the status quo. The article concludes with a number of recommendations designed to remedy these problems.