Synopsis
Primarily concerned with conceptual clarification and normative assessment, Riser (retired, U. of Central Florida) considers the minimal criteria of a meaningful concept of democracy. Disconnecting democracy from a paradigmatic association with the form of the state, he argues for a sense of democracy based on positive freedom, inherently comprising negative freedom, and champions a cooperative model of democracy over unitary, adversarial, and deliberative forms. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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Review
"Unlike many other defenders of democracy, John Riser explicates a form of democracy that he thinks cannot be instantiated by the modern state. This form of democracy is characterized by the practice of positive rather than negative liberty, a practice in which each participant is cooperatively empowered. For Riser, democracy at the national level can only be "a kind of quasi-democracy, adversarial in disposition, socially contractual in strategy, limited in effective popular participation, often elitist in governance, and much more likely to generate forms of satisfied accommodation than creative empowerment." There is much to recommend Riser's account here" - (From the Commendatory Preface) Professor James Sterba, University of Notre Dame; "John Riser develops a unique and important conception of democracy, distinct both from currently prevalent 'common sense' understandings of democracy and from previous philosophical accounts of democracy. Because this view is both novel and intellectually and practically important, I highly recommend this work....overall, this work is substantive, thought provoking, timely and scholarly," - Dr. Shelly Park, University of Central Florida; "[This work] could not be more timely or more relevant to contemporary U.S. politics in an election year or more of a contribution to the reging debate over both the meaning and application of democracy today... Whether globalization, often understood as the spread of markets and liberal democracy, or nation-building, partly understood as the export of democratic institutions, the meaning and role of democracy is under renewed scrutiny in both academia and policymaking circles. Dr. Riser's work resonates with these concerns as it reconsiders and reevaluates democracy and democratic theory. Although written from a political philosophy perspective, his study is inherently interdisciplinary and can be integrated readily into a broad range of courses in political science, comparative politics, international relations, international economy and markets, law, human rights, sociology, and history. The work has impressed me as a well-written and well-argued reformulation of democracy. Its greatest contribution lies in its ability to demonstrate persuasively how the many attacks against democracy today are almost all the result of confusion over what is real or authentic democracy and deep frustration with various forms of "pseudo-democracy." Overall, I found Dr. Riser's presentation sobering, enlightening and liberating. And a valuable and essential read." - Dr. Waltraud Morales, University of Central Florida"
About the Author
John Riser, who received a PhD in philosophy from the University of North Carolina, taught at universities in the United States and Canada from 1961 until 2003, when he retired from the University of Central Florida. In 1988, he was a lecturer for one semester at Moscow State University. His research and writing are devoted primarily to Russian philosophy and the theory of democracy.
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Democracy: An Alternate View (Problems in Contemporary Philosophy, 58)
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. 2004 hardcover published without jacket/slight wear on the cover/clean & unmarked. 220 p. Seller Inventory # ABE-1607950060171