Democracy (Key Concepts in Critical Theory) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 039103779X ISBN 13: 9780391037793

Publisher: Humanities Press International Inc.,U.S., 1993

Synopsis

This work is one in a series of student texts. The series presents both traditional and contemporary analyses of concepts essential to the critical evaluation of society and the attempt to form a genuinely emancipatory social theory. Each title in the series explores a variety of theoretical contexts and political programmes in which the selected concept has functioned, from the earliest, foundational use of the concpet through to contemporary discussions. The individual editors provide introductions that trace the development of each concept and define the central controversies surrounding its use. This volume draws together a variety of writers into a discussion of democracy. It brings together classical and contemporary arguments about pure democracy versus representative government, the role of elites in a democracy, possibilities for greater popular participation, the relationships between democracy and capitalism and democracy and male domination, and the linkages between majority rule and minority rights. The fundamental conception of this reader is to treat "democracy" as a contested term: what is it? what practice does it entail?

Is "government by the people" really possible and, if so, how? The eight sections of the book all cohere round these four basic questions. Parts II and III contrast the classical vision of pure democracy or literal popular sovereigny with arguments for the impossibility or undesirability of pure democracy and the necessity of representative government. Parts IV and V present arguments about the necessity and virtue of political elites in a democracy. Part VI is about the difficulties posed for democratic practice by hierarchies of class and gender. Part VII contains selections arguing for varieties of popular democratic institutions and direct action that would bridge the gap between representative government and participatory democracy. Finally, part VIII contains selections that suggest the essential linkage between majority rule and minority rights.

About this edition

• Publisher: Humanities Press International Inc.,U.S.
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 039103779X
• ISBN 13: 9780391037793
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336
• Editor: Green Philip