Democracy without politics / Steven Bilakovics.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bilakovics, Steven, 1974-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Democracy--Philosophy--History.

Democracy.

Democracy--History.

History.

Democracy--Philosophy.

Physical Description:

303 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 2012.

Summary:

An aversion to politics could be a component of democracy itself--especially if the vision of democracy is narrow or over-simplified. In this intriguing study Bilakovics (political science, Yale U.) explores the idea that Americans' distaste for politics is connected to something inherent in the logic of democracy, as well as a misperception of democracy's main attribute as simply an open society and an open world. One of his themes is how "...the ongoing democratization of society...goes hand in hand with the depoliticization of society.... Framed by the democratic duality of cynicism and idealism, the belief takes shape that we are at once incapable of and better off without the practice of politics." Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

Introduction: democracy as self-subverting

"More than kings yet less than men": Tocqueville on the new extremes of democratic society

Civilization without the discontents: Tocqueville on democracy as the social state of nature

The regime of revolution: Claude Lefort on history, nature, and convention after the democratic revolution

Political phoenix: Sheldon Wolin on the limits and limitlessness of democracy

Conclusion: post-politics: society without argument.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780674058224

0674058224

OCLC:

709670342