Theories of Democracy
A Reader
Contributions by John Locke, Thomas Paine, James Madison Madison, James, Alexis Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, John Rawls, Aristotle, Niccolo Machiavelli, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Winthrop, Horace Mann, Robert Bellah Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley; coaut, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Arthur Bentley, Robert Dahl, Joseph Schumpeter, Anthony Downs, John Dewey, Benjamin Barber, Max Weber, Noberto Bobbio, Michel Foucault, William Connolly, Chantal Mouffe Collége International de, Jurgen Habermas, Liberal/Democratic Divide, Sheldon Wolin, Anne Phillips, Cornel West Union Theological Seminary, Iris Marion Young, Mahatma Gandhi, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Aung San Suu Kyi, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Jean-bertrand Aristide Edited by Ronald J. Terchek, Thomas C. Conte
Publication date:
31 July 2000Length of book:
400 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersDimensions:
260x184mm7x10"
ISBN-13: 9780847697243
Theories of Democracy builds on Robert Dahl's observation that there is no single theory of democracy; only theories. Beyond the broad commitment to rule by the majority, democracy involves a set of contentious debates concerning the proper function and scope of power, equality, freedom, justice, and interests. In this anthology, Ronald J. Terchek and Thomas C. Conte have brilliantly assembled the works of classical, modern, and contemporary commentators to illustrate the deep and diverse roots of the democratic ideal, as well as to provide materials for thinking about the way some contemporary theories build on different traditions of democratic theorizing. The arguments addressed in Theories of Democracy appear in the voices of authors who have championed influential theories concerning the opportunities and dangers associated with democratic politics. In this collection, Terchek and Conte have selected excerpts not as a means for promoting a particular way of looking at democracy, but rather they have wisely chosen works that will enable students to carry on an informed discourse on the meaning and purposes of democratic principles and practices. Theories of Democracy is a must for every student of democracy's past, present, and future.
Democracy is not an easy idea, the practice of democracy even more difficult. Theories of Democracy is an important, sophisticated, and smart collection of readings that recalls these simple truths in instructive and often provocative ways. Moving from the origins of democratic aspirations in early liberal and republican theories, through a helpful organization of contemporary theories of democracy, to critiques that seek to extend democracy's reach, Terchek and Conte have made clear that the evolution of democracy is an ongoing project. Concise introductions to each set of readings alert the reader to the choices that we confront in trying to match our democratic hopes to political possibilities. Theories of Democracy demonstrates that democratic values surface in a wide and diverse set of political writings. It also encourages the reader to reflect upon their own position in these debates. This makes the work useful for teaching both undergraduate and graduate students. Democracy is hard work that begins with an appreciation of its complexity. That is a lesson not only for students but for all friends of democracy.