Democratic Moments: Reading Democratic Texts (textual Moments In The History Of Political Thought)

This collection of short essays on texts in the history of democracy shows the diversity of ideas that contributed to the making of our present democratic moment. The selection of texts goes beyond the standard, Western-centric canonical history of democracy, with its beginnings in ancient Athens and its climax in the French and American revolutions, recovering some of the significant body of democratic and anti-democratic thought in Latin America, Asia, and elsewhere. It includes discussions of well-known philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, but also of a variety of thinkers much less well known in English as writers on democracy: Al Farabi, Bolívar, Gandhi, Radishchev, Lenin, Sun Yat-sen, and many others. The essays thus de-center our understanding of the moments where the idea of democracy was articulated, rejected, and appropriated. Spanning antiquity to the present and global in scope, with contributions by key scholars of democracy from around the world, __Democratic Moments__ is the ideal text for all students wishing to expand their understanding of the ways in which this contested concept has been understood. This Collection Of Short Essays On Texts In The History Of Democracy Shows The Diversity Of Ideas That Contributed To The Making Of Our Present Democratic Moment. The Selection Of Texts Goes Beyond The Standard, Western-centric Canonical History Of Democracy, With Its Beginnings In Ancient Athens And Its Climax In The French And American Revolutions, Recovering Some Of The Significant Body Of Democratic And Anti-democratic Thought In Latin America, Asia, And Elsewhere. It Includes Discussions Of Well-known Philosophers Like Plato And Aristotle, But Also Of A Variety Of Thinkers Much Less Well Known In English As Writers On Democracy: Al Farabi, Bolívar, Gandhi, Radishchev, Lenin, Sun Yat-sen, And Many Others. The Essays Thus De-center Our Understanding Of The Moments Where The Idea Of Democracy Was Articulated, Rejected, And Appropriated. Spanning Antiquity To The Present And Global In Scope, With Contributions By Key Scholars Of Democracy From Around The World, Democratic Moments Is The Ideal Text For All Students Wishing To Expand Their Understanding Of The Ways In Which This Contested Concept Has Been Understood. -- Machine Generated Contents Note: -- Introduction (xavier Marquez) -- Part I: The Greek Moment And Its Aftermath -- 1. Herodotus' Ecologies Of Freedom (joel Shlosser) -- 2. Aristotle On The Virtues And Vices Of Democracy, Politics (kevin Cherry) -- 3. Democracy And Expertise: Socrates Vs. Protagoras (james Kierstead) -- 4. Cicero, On The Republic (jeffrey Tatum) -- 5. Democracy Without Elections: Popular Rule According To Alfarabi (alexander Orwin) -- 6. Marsilius Of Padua On Consent And Popular Sovereignty (takashi Shogimen) -- Part Ii: Representative Moments -- 7. Machiavelli's Democratic Turn (catherine Zuckert) -- 8. Spinoza's Thoughts On Democracy And His Realist Psychology (emma Cohen De Lara And Nathan Cooper) -- 9. James Harrington And The Rule Of King People (j.c. Davis) -- 10. Thomas Paine And Democratic Contempt (mario Feit) -- 11. Aleksandr Radischev And The Popular Will (andrew Kahn) --^ 12. Of Democracy And Postmen: Sieyes' Contribution To Representative Democracy (lucia Rubinelli) -- 13. Morals And Enlightenment: Bolivar's Virtuous Democracy In The Angostura Address (guillermo Tell Aveledo Coll) -- 14. The Puzzle Of Political Leadership In Democratic Society: Tocquevillian Reflections (ryan Balot And Zhichao Tong) -- 15. Family Selfishness And The Corruption Of Public Virtue: Harriet Taylor's Enfranchisement Of Women (kathy Smits) -- 16. Max Weber's Democracy Of Charisma (sung Ho Kim) -- 17. Democracy In The Revolutionary Thought Of Rosa Luxemburg (rosemary H. T. O'kane) -- 18. Hobson On Democracy And The Humanised Economy (colin Tyler) -- Part Iii: The Post-western Moment -- 19. Sun Yat-sen: San Min Chu I (the Three People's Principles) And Chinese Democracy (theresa Lee) -- 20. The Necessary Gendarme: Laureano Vallenilla Lanz And Liberal Republicanism In The Time Of Dictatorship (xavier Marquez) --^ 21. Lenin: The Dialectic Of Democracy And Dictatorship (paul Blackledge) -- 22. Dissent In Democracy: A Gandhian Critique (anuradha Veeravalli) -- 23. Léopold Senghor On Poets, Poetry, Politics (shiera Malik) -- 24. A New Reading On Authority (wilayah): Ayatollah Muhammad Mehdi Shamsuddin (hamid Mavani) -- Conclusion (xavier Marquez) -- Suggestions For Further Reading -- Index. Edited By Xavier Márquez. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover Contents List of contributors Series editors’ foreword Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Herodotus’s Political Ecologies 2 Protagoras’s Cooperative Know-how 3 Aristotle on Democracy and Democracies 4 Cicero, On the Republic 5 Democracy without Elections: Popular Rule according to Alfarabi 6 Consent and Popular Sovereignty in Medieval Political Thought: Marsilius of Padua’s Defensor pacis 7 Machiavelli’s Democratic Turn 8 James Harrington and the Rule of King People 9 Baruch Spinoza: Radical Republican 10 Thomas Paine and Democratic Contempt 11 Alexander Radishchev’s Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow: The Defence of Natural Rights and the Right to Self-defence 12 Of Postmen and Democracy: Sieyès’s Theory of Representation 13 ‘Morals and Enlightenment’: Bolívar’s Virtuous Democracy in the Angostura Address 14 The Puzzle of Political Leadership in Tocqueville’s Democracy in America 15 ‘Family Selfishness’ and the Corruption of Public Virtue: Harriet Taylor Mill’s Enfranchisement of Women 16 Lenin: Soviet Democracy in 1917 17 Democracy in the Revolutionary Thought of Rosa Luxemburg 18 Max Weber’s Charismatic Democracy 19 An Alternative Democracy: Dissent in Gandhi’s Great Trial of 1922 20 Sun Yat-sen: People’s Democracy and Chinese Democracy 21 Hobson on Democracy and the Humanized Economy 22 A New Reading on Authority and Guardianship (wilayah): Ayatollah Muhammad Mahdi Shamsuddin Conclusion Suggestions for further reading Index " This collection of short essays on texts in the history of democracy shows the diversity of ideas that contributed to the making of our present democratic moment. The selection of texts goes beyond the standard, Western-centric canonical history of democracy, with its beginnings in Ancient Athens and its climax in the French and American revolutions, recovering some of the significant body of democratic and anti-democratic thought in Latin America, Asia, and elsewhere. It includes discussions of well-known philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, but also of a variety of thinkers much less well known in English as writers on democracy: Al Farabi, Bolívar, Gandhi, Radishchev, Lenin, Sun Yat-sen, and many others. The essays thus de-center our understanding of the moments where the idea of democracy was articulated, rejected, and appropriated. Spanning antiquity to the present and global in scope, with contributions by key scholars of democracy from around the world, Democratic Moments is the ideal text for all students wishing to expand their understanding of the ways in which this contested concept has been understood. "--