Rethinking Democracy: Freedom and Social Co-operation in Politics, Economy, and Society

This important book offers a fundamental reconsideration of the theory of democracy, arguing that democratic decision making should apply not only to politics but also to economic and social life. Professor Gould redefines traditional concepts of freedom and social equality, and proposes a principle of Equal Positive Freedom in which individual freedom and social cooperation are seen to be compatible. Reformulating basic conceptions of property, authority, economic justice and human rights, the author suggests a number of ways in which these principles could be realized in social institutions. She also discusses such issues as democratic control of technology, the nature of democratic personality, and the question of democracy in international relations. Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 Freedom, reciprocity, and democracy the norm of self-development and the concept of positive freedom the principle of equality social relations of reciprocity and common activity an argument for extending democracy 2 Ontological foundations of democracy criticism of three prevailing theoretical models of democracy and of their ontological foundations liberal individualism pluralist political democracy holistic socialism proposal for an alternative ontological foundation for democratic theory 3 Social ontology and the question of foundationalism in ethics traditional foundationalist views and some recent alternatives social ontology and ethical norms 4 Economic justice, self-management, and the principle of reciprocity beyond rawls and nozick economic justice and the requirement of self-management economic justice and the distribution of goods equality and reciprocity 5 Equal rights, individual differences, and the ideal of self-development: paradoxes in the theory of democracy 6 Contemporary legal conceptions of property and their implications for democracy criticisms of prevailing conceptions of property a proposal for an alternative conception of property 7 What are the human rights? the question of scope three further problems of human rights theory the human rights - a proposed enumeration 8 Making participation and authority compatible introduction the concept of authority and its normative foundations authority and representation participation and authority in social and economic institutions the state and the problem of political obligation 9 Participation and self-management: a model of democracy 10 Technology and ethics: should technology be left to the experts? introduction ethical norms and the requirement for democratic control of technology contemporary technology - some positive and negative dimensions control of technology: an analysis of the concept the democratization of technology and the problem of expertise possible conflicts between democracy and the fundamental ethical values 11 The democratic personality: self-development, character, and political participation introduction democratic agency and the disposition to reciprocity objections reciprocity and moral development: a crique of kohlberg, rawls, and habermas 12 Cosmopolitical democracy: moral principles among nations Notes INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 Index "This important new book offers a fundamental reconsideration of the theory of democracy, arguing that democratic decision-making should apply not only to politics but also to economic and social life. Professor Gould redefines traditional concepts of freedom and social equality, and proposes a principle of Equal Positive Freedom in which individual freedom and social co-operation are seen to be compatible. Reformulating basic conceptions of property, authority, economic justice and human rights, the author suggests a number of ways in which these principles could be realized in social institutions. She also discusses such issues as democratic control of technology, the nature of democratic personality, and the question of democracy in international relations. Book jacket."--Jacket Traditional theories of democracy-the classical theories of 18th- and 19th-century liberalism-have proven to be inadequate to the demands for greater freedom and equality in the twentieth century. Carol C. Gould. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 329-355.