Democratic Theory as Public Philosophy: The Alternative to Ideology and Utopia

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Ashgate, 2000 - Democracy - 294 pages
This text contends that there are pronounced ideological (apologetic) and utopian biases in how democracy is now viewed by most academic writers, politicians and journalists. Ideological biases result from democracy being seen in formal and procedural ways as parliaments, free elections and competitive parties and pressure groups - irrespective of the standards which guide or the effects produced by these procedures. Utopian democrats reject this narrow empiricism for normative approaches and, instead of realistic norms, they offer impractical, perfectionist and counter-productive standards and goals.

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Contents

DEMOCRATIC THEORY AS IDEOLOGY
13
Democracy as Integrated
28
Robert Dahl
48
Copyright

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