Many, but not all of the chapters in this volume derive from a seminar series organized in 1995, in the Political Science Program of the Research School of the Social Sciences at the Australian National University, on the theme ‘Whither Political Theory?’. Having taught versions of political theory for many years, I had some background expectation of what I would encounter. Gradually, as the seminars proceeded, I found the ground shifting underneath me. A wide range of distinct preoccupations characterized what was going under the rubric of theory. Different, at times incommensurable, normative, historical, methodological and ontological approaches were canvassed. The chapters in this volume, although in no way encompassing the breadth of what is actually taking place in political theory, nonetheless illustrate this restless diversity of perspectives. The chapters were not meant to focus directly on the nature of the discipline of theory, unless the author wished to; rather, the authors were encouraged to concentrate on their research at that time. In this sense, the reader can focus on individual arguments without having to deal with the underlying questions the book is designed to raise. Thus, the essays presented here can function at a number of levels.