Demopolis: Democracy before Liberalism in Theory and PracticeWhat did democracy mean before liberalism? What are the consequences for our lives today? Combining history with political theory, this book restores the core meaning of democracy as collective and limited self-government by citizens. That, rather than majority tyranny, is what democracy meant in ancient Athens, before liberalism. Participatory self-government is the basis of political practice in 'Demopolis', a hypothetical modern state powerfully imagined by award-winning historian and political scientist Josiah Ober. Demopolis' residents aim to establish a secure, prosperous, and non-tyrannical community, where citizens govern as a collective, both directly and through representatives, and willingly assume the costs of self-government because doing so benefits them, both as a group and individually. Basic democracy, as exemplified in real Athens and imagined Demopolis, can provide a stable foundation for a liberal state. It also offers a possible way forward for religious societies seeking a realistic alternative to autocracy. |
Contents
The Meaning of Democracy in Classical Athens | 18 |
Founding Demopolis | 34 |
Legitimacy and Civic Education | 59 |
Human Capacities and Civic Participation | 77 |
Civic Dignity and Other Necessary Conditions | 101 |
Delegation and Expertise | 128 |
A Theory of Democracy | 157 |
| 181 | |
| 197 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Achen ancient Greek answer argument Aristotle Aristotle’s Athenian Athenian democracy authority autocracy autocratic basic democracy behavior capable Chapter choices citizenship civic dignity civic education claim collective self-government commitment common interest constitutional contemporary liberal costs decision democ democracy before liberalism democracy’s democratic demokratia Demopolis Demopolis’s demos direct democracy distributive justice diverse domains elite capture enforce epistemic expertise experts Founders free exercise Herodotus Hobbes Hobbes’s honors human capacities humiliation individual inherent insofar institutions kratos legislative legitimacy Leviathan liberal democracy liberty limited live majoritarian modern moral nature nonliberal nontyranny norms option outcome people’s political equality political participation political theory positive political theory potential preferences question racy rational reason regime relevant requires ruler rules security and prosperity seek self-government by citizens shared social cooperation social order society sovereign sustain theorists thought experiment threat three ends Thucydides tion tyranny violate vote welfare