Homo Democraticus: On the Universal Desirability and the Not So Universal Possibility of Democracy and Human RightsThe subject of the book - the universal value of human rights and democracy - is highly topical in view of the â oedemocratic imperialismâ of the current US-government. While leaving aside the problem of the acceptability of war as a means to promote democracy (e.g. the second Gulf War), the book focusses on a philosophical, moral and pragmatical defence of the universal application of democracy and human rights. Only if this defence is successful can the discussion on the means and tactics of democratic imperialism begin. The originality of the book is its defence of the universal value of both democracy and human rights. Whereas the defence of the universality of human rights has a long tradition, there is as yet almost no literature on the universal desirability of democracy. The defence is partly philosophical, ethical, political, legal and practical. It draws on the history of philosophy and ethics, as well as on political science. The book is directed at a general public interested in geo-politics and in the state of democracy back home. Politicians, lawyers, journalists and students may find it interesting. As it discusses important parts of the history of political philosophy, it can also be used as a textbook for university students in philosophy or politics. |
Contents
The Antidemocrats Paradox | 2 |
Why Do We Need Democracy and Human Rights? | 4 |
AntiFoundationalism | 8 |
Why do Some People Reject Democracy andor Human Rights? | 10 |
Some Conflicts | 13 |
Rejecting Democracy andor Human Rights Because They Are Not Possible Yet | 17 |
A Problem of Definition | 18 |
A Provisional Definition | 23 |
Origin and Effect | 215 |
Real Diversity | 216 |
The Relativity of Relativism | 217 |
Changing Cultures | 220 |
Tolerating Intolerance? 2 | 223 |
Culture and the Individual | 224 |
Universalizing Human Rights is not the Same Thing as Universalizing Individualism | 226 |
Rights and Community | 228 |
The Need for Democratic Imperialism | 25 |
A Short Description of the Purpose the Content and the Structure of this Book | 26 |
Public Life Political Life and Cultural Life | 29 |
Freedom Rights Protect Public Life | 30 |
Why Do We Need a Public Life? | 32 |
Public and Private | 39 |
General and Particular | 41 |
General and Private Interest | 42 |
Equality | 43 |
Time | 44 |
The Protection of Public Life | 46 |
The Rule of Law and the Separation Between the State and Society 1 | 48 |
The Rule of Law Difference Identity and Criticism | 52 |
Borders Between Concepts | 54 |
The Rule of Law Guarantees Publicity Openness Justice and Fairness | 57 |
Security | 59 |
No Human Rights Without Tolerance | 65 |
Tolerance Linked to Diversity as a Good | 66 |
Tolerating Intolerance? 1 | 67 |
Religious Liberty Promotes Openness Disclosure Pluralism Tolerance and Debate | 70 |
Limiting and Separating the State and the Church | 71 |
Different SubCommunities With Different Identities Living Together | 74 |
The Historical Role of the Reformation | 79 |
The Private Space | 81 |
Private Property | 82 |
Equal Rights NonDiscrimination and Justice | 84 |
Negative and Positive Rights | 90 |
Human Rights Added to Given to or Given by the State | 95 |
Human Rights Against Fellow Humans | 97 |
General Interest and Selfinterest and the Dangers of Both 1 99 38 The Importance of Boundaries and of the Intimate and Inviolable Space | 99 |
Some Negative Consequences of Boundaries | 101 |
Political Life Version 1 The Link Between | 103 |
The Right to Democracy and Political Rights | 109 |
Change and Publicity | 118 |
Obscurity and Manipulation | 126 |
Setting the Agenda | 132 |
Historical Perspective | 139 |
Participation Without Representation | 146 |
Advantages of Direct Democracy Democracy as a Goal | 150 |
Disadvantages of Direct Democracy 2 Scale and | 156 |
Disadvantages of Direct Democracy 4 Demagogy | 163 |
Disadvantages of Direct Democracy 6 Insufficient | 169 |
Humanity Universality Because of Equality | 176 |
Positivism | 182 |
Humanity and the People | 190 |
ACultural Rights | 196 |
Who Criticizes Rights and Democracy? | 199 |
Is the Identity a Goal or a Means? | 200 |
Identity is both a Myth and a Problem | 202 |
Contradictions in the Ideology of Culture and Identity | 203 |
The Right of States and Individuals to Criticize | 205 |
The Only and Almighty Authority of Culture | 206 |
Cultural Relativism and NeoColonialism | 207 |
Western Rights | 208 |
The Radical Rejection of Democracy and the IDidItMy Way Syndrome | 211 |
Rights Limited to the West are Only SemiRights | 213 |
Collective Rights | 233 |
The Right to a State and the Right to Identity | 234 |
Dangerous Rights | 236 |
Special Minority Rights | 239 |
Real and Normative Universality | 241 |
Universality at the level of the People A Minimal Consensus or Weltethos | 243 |
An Intercultural Dialogue | 244 |
Economic Development | 248 |
The Choice Between Hunger and Oppression | 255 |
The Link Between Identity and the Economy | 261 |
A Hierarchy of Rights? | 267 |
Insufficient Conditions | 273 |
Enforcement Resources and the Long Term | 279 |
Peace Between States | 288 |
Other Ways in Which Rights | 295 |
The Paradox of Democracy | 301 |
Peace Inside a State | 307 |
National Unity | 313 |
PacificationDemocracy | 319 |
Equality | 323 |
The Value of Equality | 324 |
The Epistemological Advantages of Democracy | 327 |
Democracy is Not Necessarily Relativistic Nihilistic or Amoral | 329 |
Truth vs Opinion | 331 |
A Good Content and a Good Procedure | 334 |
The Possibility of Contestation | 336 |
Procedures are Not Enough | 338 |
Some Problems With Equality | 340 |
Unequal Value | 342 |
The Combination of Equal and Unequal Value | 343 |
A Problem of Definition | 345 |
Equality Before the Law vs Material Equality | 348 |
Equality of Outcome vs Equality of Procedures | 349 |
Political Equality vs Material Equality | 351 |
Efficiency the Ability to Take Decisions and the Quest for Consensus | 355 |
Consensus | 358 |
Dangerous Truth The Truth Threatens Politics | 359 |
Reasonableness Instead of Truth | 363 |
Democracy is Impossible and Necessary at the Same Time 2 Unity of Vision | 370 |
Creating Consensus | 373 |
Efficiency the Ability to Take Decisions | 378 |
Vote Buying | 384 |
Big Government | 391 |
Transnational Democracy | 397 |
Some Problems With Autonomy | 408 |
Autonomy and the Economy | 414 |
An AntiDemocratic Definition of Freedom? | 420 |
Freedom and the State Anarchism and Liberalism | 428 |
Limited Freedom is AntiSocial | 439 |
The Choice Between Freedom and the Dictator | 446 |
Power Struggle and Struggle in General | 452 |
The Balance Between Political Rights and Freedom Rights | 459 |
A Different Application of Something Universal Limits | 467 |
Bibliography | 512 |
| 521 | |
Common terms and phrases
accept actions allowed argument Article authoritarian autonomy become choice citizens claim coercion conflicts consequence contradict Council of Europe countries course create cultural identity cultural relativism decide decisions definition democ democracy and human democracy and rights democratic direct democracy discussion duties economic rights election enant enforce equal rights example existence expression fact force freedom rights groups guarantee harm implies important impossible incompatible individual interests justify kind limited majority means ment minority necessary Negative freedom nomic norms opinions oppression organise participation parties peace person plurality political rights possible present Covenant problem procedures promote protect public and political public space racy realise reason recognised religion religious representative democracy representatives requires respect rights and democracy rights violations rule of law self-determination self-government separation of powers social society struggle things tion tolerance truth United Nations unity universal values violate human rights violence vote