Democracy and Dictatorship: The Nature and Limits of State PowerIn this important volume Norberto Bobbio examines some of the central themes of political theory and presents a systematic exposition of his views. With great astuteness and profound scholarship, Bobbio unfolds the elements for a general theory of politics. Bobbio's wide-ranging argument is focused on four themes: the distinction between the public and the private; the concept of civil society; differing conceptions of the state and differing ways of understanding the legitimacy of state power; and the relation between democracy and dictatorship. Bobbio's discussion draws on a wealth of theoretical and historical material, from Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes and Locke to Marx, Weber, Habermas and Foucault. By analysing the development of different languages of politics in relation to changing social and historical contexts, Bobbio deepens our understanding of the concepts we use to describe and evaluate modern political systems. |
Contents
The evaluative use of the great dichotomy | 9 |
The second meaning of the dichotomy | 17 |
The Marxian interpretation | 27 |
The natural law tradition | 34 |
State Power and Government | 44 |
The name and the thing | 57 |
The state and power | 69 |
The foundation of power | 81 |
The forms of government | 100 |
Forms of state | 111 |
The end of the state | 125 |
Democracy and Dictatorship | 133 |
The historical use | 145 |
Representative democracy and direct democracy | 152 |
Ancient dictatorship | 158 |
167 | |
Other editions - View all
Democracy and Dictatorship: The Nature and Limits of State Power Norberto Bobbio Limited preview - 2017 |
Democracy and Dictatorship: The Nature and Limits of State Power Norberto Bobbio No preview available - 1989 |
Democracy and Dictatorship: The Nature and Limits of State Power Norberto Bobbio No preview available - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
absolute monarchy according ancient argument aristocracy Aristotle associations autocracy Bobbio Bodin bourgeois century citizens civil society classical commutative justice conception considered constitution contrast criterion decisions defined definition democratic despotism dichotomy dictatorship direct democracy distinction distinguish doctrine domination example exercise existence expression civil society fact favour force form of government formation forms of power French Revolution functions given territory governmental forms Hegel history of political Hobbes idea ideal individuals interests internal interpreted legitimacy legitimate liberty limits Machiavelli Marx meaning mixed government modern age monarchy Montesquieu natural law necessary non-state Norberto Bobbio norms ochlocracy organization origin parties philosophy political institutions political power political society political system political theory political thought Polybius primacy prince principle private law problem public law regime representative democracy republic res publica revolutionary Roman Rousseau rule rulers sense social societas civilis sovereign power subjects term tradition types typology Vico Weber word