The Problem of Democracy - Softcover

De Benoist, Alain

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1907166165 ISBN 13: 9781907166167

Publisher: Arktos Media Ltd., 2021

Synopsis

The Problem of Democracy is the first of Alain de Benoist's book-length political works to appear in English. It presents the complexity and depth which underlies all of de Benoist’s work and which is often neglected by those who seek to dismiss him by oversimplifying or distorting his arguments.

De Benoist shows how democracy is, contrary to what some critics have claimed, something which has been a part of our civilisation from the beginning. The problem, he says, is not the notion of democracy in itself, but rather the current understanding of the term which, rather than empowering the individual, reduces him to little more than a cog in a machine over which he has no control, and in which the direction is set by politicians with little genuine accountability.

As an alternative, de Benoist proposes that effective democracy would mean a return to an understanding of citizenship as being tied to one’s belonging to a specific political community based on shared values and common historical ties, while doing away with the liberal notion of the delegation of sovereignty to elected representatives. The type of government which is called for is thus a return to the form of government widely understood in Antiquity, but which now seems to us to be a revolutionary notion.

This is the first in a series of volumes by Alain de Benoist which will be translated and published by Arktos Media.

About this title

Product Description

The first of de Benoist's book-length political works to appear in English shows that the problem with democracy is the current understanding of the term, which reduces people to little more than cogs in a machine over which they have no control, and in which the direction is set by politicians with little genuine accountability.

Review

"In trying to fit this small book into the tradition of all that has gone before we are reminded of Dr. Johnson's dog: when someone attempts to condense the problems of democracy into such a small package one may not be surprised to find that it has not been done well, but only that it has been done at all. Alain de Benoist has, however, done it very well. Very well, indeed." - The Brussels Journal

Edition details

• Publisher: Arktos Media Ltd.
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1907166165
• ISBN 13: 9781907166167
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 104