The sentimental citizen : emotion in democratic politics

George Marcus deserves thanks and praise for reminding us that emotional communication and arousal are the life-blood of politics. Leaders who ignore the primacy of voters?’ feelings are doomed to failure. Voters and political scientists who imagine that politics is a question of purely ?‘rational choice?’ are bound to be astonished by what actually happens. To gain a better understanding of how our emotions shape contemporary politics, this volume is must reading. ?—Roger D. Masters, Dartmouth College This book challenges the conventional wisdom that improving democratic politics requires keeping emotion out of it. Marcus advances the provocative claim that the tradition in democratic theory of treating emotion and reason as hostile opposites is misguided and leads contemporary theorists to misdiagnose the current state of American democracy. Instead of viewing the presence of emotion in politics as a failure of rationality and therefore as a failure of citizenship, Marcus argues, democratic theorists need to understand that emotions are in fact a prerequisite for the exercise of reason and thus essential for rational democratic deliberation and political judgment. Attempts to purge emotion from public life not only are destined to fail, but ultimately would rob democracies of a key source of revitalization and change. Drawing on recent research in neuroscience, Marcus shows how emotion functions generally and what role it plays in politics. In contrast to the traditional view of emotion as a form of agitation associated with belief, neuroscience reveals it to be generated by brain systems that operate largely outside of awareness. Two of these systems, "disposition" and "surveillance," are especially important in enabling emotions to produce habits, which often serve a positive function in democratic societies. But anxiety, also a preconscious emotion, is crucial to democratic politics as well because it can inhibit or disable habits and thus clear a space for the conscious use of reason and deliberation. If we acknowledge how emotion facilitates reason and is "cooperatively entangled" with it. Marcus concludes, then we should recognize sentimental citizens as the only citizens really capable of exercising political judgment and of putting their decisions into action. This Book Challenges The Conventional Wisdom That Improving Democratic Politics Requires Keeping Emotion Out Of It. Marcus Advances The Provocative Claim That The Tradition In Democratic Theory Of Treating Emotion And Reason As Hostile Opposites Is Misguided And Leads Contemporary Theorists To Misdiagnose The Current State Of American Democracy. Instead Of Viewing The Presence Of Emotion In Politics As A Failure Of Rationality And Therefore As A Failure Of Citizenship, Marcus Argues, Democratic Theorists Need To Understand That Emotions Are In Fact A Prerequisite For The Exercise Of Reason And Thus Essential For Rational Democratic Deliberation And Political Judgment. Attempts To Purge Emotion From Public Life Not Only Are Destined To Fail, But Ultimately Would Rob Democracies Of A Key Source Of Revitalization And Change.--jacket. Machine Generated Contents Note: I Introduction -- 2 Emotion Conventionally Understood -- 3 The Requirements Of Citizenship -- 4 Becoming Reacquainted With Emotion -- 5 The Uses Of Habit And Enthusiasm -- 6 The Uses Of Anxiety -- 7 The Dangers Of Loathing -- 8 The Sentimental Citizen -- Bibliography -- Index. George E. Marcus. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 149-166) And Index.

This book challenges the conventional wisdom that improving democratic politics requires keeping emotion out of it. Marcus advances the provocative claim that the tradition in democratic theory of treating emotion and reason as hostile opposites is misguided and leads contemporary theorists to misdiagnose the current state of American democracy. Instead of viewing the presence of emotion in politics as a failure of rationality and therefore as a failure of citizenship, Marcus argues, democratic theorists need to understand that emotions are in fact a prerequisite for the exercise of reason and thus essential for rational democratic deliberation and political judgment. Attempts to purge emotion from public life not only are destined to fail but ultimately would rob democracies of a key source of revitalization and change. Drawing on recent research in neuroscience, Marcus shows how emotion functions generally and what role it plays in politics. Marcus concludes that we should recognize sentimental citizens as the only citizens really capable of exercising reasoned political judgment and putting their decisions into action.

"This book challenges the conventional wisdom that improving democratic politics requires keeping emotion out of it. Marcus advances the provocative claim that the tradition in democratic theory of treating emotion and reason as hostile opposites is misguided and leads contemporary theorists to misdiagnose the current state of American democracy. Instead of viewing the presence of emotion in politics as a failure of rationality and therefore as a failure of citizenship, Marcus argues, democratic theorists need to understand that emotions are in fact a prerequisite for the exercise of reason and thus essential for rational democratic deliberation and political judgment. Attempts to purge emotion from public life not only are destined to fail, but ultimately would rob democracies of a key source of revitalization and change."--BOOK JACKET. Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 1 Introduction 10 2 Emotion Conventionally Understood 18 3 The Requirements of Citizenship 42 4 Becoming Reacquainted with Emotion 58 5 The Uses of Habit and Enthusiasm 88 6 The Uses of Anxiety 108 7 The Dangers of Loathing 128 8 The Sentimental Citizen 142 Bibliography 158 Index 176 Here, Marcus advances the provocative claim that the tradition in democratic theory of treating emotion and reason as hostile opposites is misguided. He argues that sentimental citizens are the only citizens really capable of exercising political judgement.