Author: Christopher Meckstroth

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0190213922

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Most democratic theory imagines democracy either as a static ideal, or else as a timeless sea of contestation. This book turns attention to democracy's neglected historical dimension, arguing that a legitimate democracy needs not only to respect all citizens' equal freedoms in the present, but that it must also do so through a political system that citizens have chosen for themselves. According to this view, both the history of democratic revolutions and ongoing struggles for democratic reform are integral parts of what makes democracies democratic. It argues that democracy is the only legitimate form of government not because it rests on the right theoretical foundations, but because it is the only form that needs no foundations at all: it is the only way of deciding what will count as good, right, or true without presupposing the right of some authorities to impose their decisions on everyone else with the force of law. But for the same reason, there is no one "right" way of putting democracy into practice and the people must choose for themselves which way is best. Of course this begs the question as to whether we need a system in place to determine the will of the people. Meckstroth argues that we can solve this paradox if we work out the conditions of any coherent claim to speak in the people's name. In the heat of actual democratic struggles, one can show which side's claims hold up better and which undercut their own authority because they cannot answer claims from the other side. Meckstroth looks at history and context in the development of democratic theory to provide a principled way of sorting out deep conflicts over who has the right to speak for the democratic people. He tests this theory by applying it to contemporary debates over same-sex marriage, military intervention, and gun control. He finds that sometimes democracy requires minority rule and that sometimes history provides the key to determining what the democratic people have decided in the present.

Download or read book The Struggle for Democracy written by Christopher Meckstroth and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most democratic theory imagines democracy either as a static ideal, or else as a timeless sea of contestation. This book turns attention to democracy's neglected historical dimension, arguing that a legitimate democracy needs not only to respect all citizens' equal freedoms in the present, but that it must also do so through a political system that citizens have chosen for themselves. According to this view, both the history of democratic revolutions and ongoing struggles for democratic reform are integral parts of what makes democracies democratic. It argues that democracy is the only legitimate form of government not because it rests on the right theoretical foundations, but because it is the only form that needs no foundations at all: it is the only way of deciding what will count as good, right, or true without presupposing the right of some authorities to impose their decisions on everyone else with the force of law. But for the same reason, there is no one "right" way of putting democracy into practice and the people must choose for themselves which way is best. Of course this begs the question as to whether we need a system in place to determine the will of the people. Meckstroth argues that we can solve this paradox if we work out the conditions of any coherent claim to speak in the people's name. In the heat of actual democratic struggles, one can show which side's claims hold up better and which undercut their own authority because they cannot answer claims from the other side. Meckstroth looks at history and context in the development of democratic theory to provide a principled way of sorting out deep conflicts over who has the right to speak for the democratic people. He tests this theory by applying it to contemporary debates over same-sex marriage, military intervention, and gun control. He finds that sometimes democracy requires minority rule and that sometimes history provides the key to determining what the democratic people have decided in the present.