Description
Book SynopsisHow did democracy go from a pejorative label for mob rule to the widely shared ideal of enlightened self-rule? How has it evolved as an idea and a set of practices? How have the ways democracy has been practiced impacted the idea of democracy itself? In this short, accessible book, leading democratic theorist Jason Brennan guides readers through the evolution of the concept of democracy and actual democratic practice over time to help them understand the foundations of this longstanding and yet newly fragile political system. In his wide-ranging tour of the concept, Brennan will examine what democracy meant to the Greeks who first developed the concept before examining how it changed throughout European and later Western history. This will open up rich and perplexing questions. Over time, democracy shifted from being a fringe idea to the gold standard of political institutions: how did this change occur? How did the question of who counts as part of the ruling people change over time?
Trade ReviewWhat's so great about democracy? If it is great, it's urgent to know why, and there couldn't be a better place to start. Jason Brennan brilliantly gathers and explains the best contending philosophical arguments-old and new. He shows how they challenge our preconceptions and invites us to think about democracy afresh. It comes not a moment too soon, and I hope it is widely read. * David Estlund, Brown University *
This is a brilliant, eminently readable introduction to philosophical thinking about democracy. Brennan ingeniously frames the discussion as a series of paired arguments concerning whether democracy is good for helping us to achieve five key ideals: stability, virtue, wisdom, liberty, and equality. In each case, historical thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, and Lenin are brought into lively conversation with contemporary philosophers. The result is magnificent, getting the reader right to the most interesting ideas while allowing plenty of room for philosophers of the past and present to speak for themselves. I can think of no better introduction to democratic theory * Alexander Guerrero, Rutgers University *
Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments 1. Democracy: Why or Why Not? 2. For Stability: Stability through Shared Power 3. Against Stability: Passion and Polarization 4. For Virtue: Does Democracy Enlighten and Ennoble? 5. Against Virtue: Does Democracy Make Us Angry, Mean, and Dumb? 6. For Wisdom: Two Heads Are Smarter than One 7. Against Wisdom: Garbage In, Garbage Out 8. For Liberty: The Consent of the Governed? 9. Against Liberty: Democracy as the Many-Headed Master 10. For Equality: Democracy as the Public Expression of Equal Standing 11. Against Equality: Is Democratic Equality an Illusion? Works Cited Index
