Pragmatism and the Wide View of Democracy

The aim of this book is to provide a fresh, wider, and more compelling account of democracy than the one we usually find in conventional contemporary political theory. Telling the story of democracy as a broad societal project rather than as merely a political regime, Frega delivers an account more in tune with our everyday experience and ordinary intuitions, bringing back into political theory the notion that democracy denotes first and foremost a form of society, and only secondarily a specific political regime.

The theoretical shift accomplished is major. Claiming that such a view of democracy is capable of replacing the mainstream categories of justice, freedom and non-domination in their hegemonic function of all-encompassing political concepts, Frega then argues for democracy as the broader normative framework within which to rethink the meaning and forms of associated living in all spheres of personal, social, economic, and political life. Drawing on diverse traditions of American pragmatism and critical theory, as well as tackling political issues which are at the core of contemporary theoretical debates, this book invites a rethinking of political theory to one more concerned with the political circumstances of social life, rather than remaining confined in the narrowly circumscribed space of a theory of government.

Provides a wider and more compelling account of democracy than the one found in mainstream contemporary political theory Tackles political issues which are at the heart of contemporary theoretical debates spanning the social and political sciences Draws on diverse traditions of American Pragmatism and critical theory

Autorentext
Roberto Frega (PhD) is a senior researcher in Philosophy at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Paris, France. He has published books on social theories of normativity (Les sources sociales de la normativitè, 2013), and pragmatist moral and political philosophy (Practice, Judgment, and the Challenged of Moral and Political Disagreement. A Pragmatist Account, 2012) as well as over thirty articles on contemporary moral and political philosophy.

Klappentext
'In times of defiant populism, a refreshing, thought-provoking invitation to reorient attention from peoples to publics comes from Frega's lucid reconstruction of the elective affinity of democracy and pragmatism. Frega's wide view of democracy is an authentic must-read for democrats and pragmatists alike.' Alessandro Ferrara, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, Author of The Democratic Horizon

'"The cure for the ills of Democracy, wrote Jane Addams, "is more Democracy. Roberto Frega amends Addams to say that the cure is a wide view of democracyone that encompasses our habits, social interactions, and forms of organization. Through a systematic philosophical, sociological and political analysis, Frega reveals how an inclusive group life and experimentalist institutions can revive our flagging democratic fortunes.'

**Christopher Ansell, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, USA

The aim of this book is to provide a fresh, wider, and more compelling account of democracy than the one we usually find in conventional contemporary political theory. Telling the story of democracy as a broad societal project rather than as merely a political regime, Frega delivers an account more in tune with our everyday experience and ordinary intuitions, bringing back into political theory the notion that democracy denotes first and foremost a form of society, and only secondarily a specific political regime. The theoretical shift accomplished is major. Claiming that such a view of democracy is capable of replacing the mainstream categories of justice, freedom and non-domination in their hegemonic function of all-encompassing political concepts, Frega then argues for democracy as the broader normative framework within which to rethink the meaning and forms of associated living in all spheres of personal, social, economic, and political life. Drawing on diverse traditions of American pragmatism and critical theory, as well as tackling political issues which are at the core of contemporary theoretical debates, this book invites a rethinking of political theory to one more concerned with the political circumstances of social life, rather than remaining confined in the narrowly circumscribed space of a theory of government.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- Part I.- Theoretical Framework.- 2. Enlarging Democracy.- 3. The normativity of democracy.- Part II.- The Historical Background.- 4. The pragmatist social account of democracy.- 5. The politics of democratic collective action.- Part III: Political Pragmatism.- 6. From Civic Virtues to Democratic Habits.- 7. Democratic patterns of social interaction.- 8. A democratic experimentalist theory of institutions.- 9. Democratic publics.- 10. Pragmatism and democracy in a global world.- Conclusion: A research agenda for political pragmatism.