According to republican theory, we are free persons to the extent that we are protected and secured in the same fundamental choices, on the same public basis, as one another. But there is no public protection or security without a coercive state. Does this mean that any freedom we enjoy is a superficial good that presupposes a deeper, political form of subjection? Philip Pettit addresses this crucial question in On the People's Terms. He argues that state coercion will not involve individual subjection or domination insofar as we enjoy an equally shared form of control over those in power. This claim may seem utopian but it is supported by a realistic model of the institutions that might establish such democratic control. Beginning with a fresh articulation of republican ideas, Pettit develops a highly original account of the rationale of democracy, breathing new life into democratic theory.
Les mer
Drawing on the work of historians like Quentin Skinner, neo-republican theory offers a new perspective on the theory of justice and democracy. This is the first extended statement of a republican theory of democracy. It gives a fresh account of the rationale of democracy and the institutions that democracy requires.
Les mer
Introduction: the republic, old and new; 1. Freedom as non-domination; 2. Social justice; 3. Political legitimacy; 4. Democratic influence; 5. Democratic control; Conclusion: the argument, in summary.
"Republican theory's lighthouse figure Phillip Pettit's much awaited and more recent book on democracy offers a sum of his whole oeuvre in practical philosophy ... As the title indicates, Pettit not only develops a theoretical argument, he also sketches practical avenues as to how the theory might and should guide our tuning of western democracies. Philosophers and social scientists alike will be intrigued, challenged, and nourished as they explore the book's pages.' Jean-Francois Gregoire, Ethical Perspectives'Pettit provides a thorough, sophisticated account of contemporary republican political thought, and the book would serve as a useful introduction to the topic ... he shows how republicanism differs from both communitarianism and liberalism, contrasting his view with thinkers such as Hobbes and Rawls, on the one hand, and Rousseau, on the other. Summing up: recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate and research collections.' P. R. Babbitt, Choice'This is an excellent, closely argued book, remarkable for its clarity and consistency. It is highly accessible and stimulating, especially given its exploration of actual democratic institutions. The book is also highly relevant in showing how political philosophers can pay attention to legitimacy as an independent normative feature of political orders.' Yann Allard-Tremblay, The Philosophical Quarterly
Les mer
A novel, republican theory of the point of democracy, providing a model of the institutions that republican democracy would require.

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780521182126
Publisert
2012-12-06
Utgiver
Vendor
Cambridge University Press
Vekt
540 gr
Høyde
226 mm
Bredde
152 mm
Dybde
15 mm
Aldersnivå
06, P
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
352

Forfatter

Biographical note

Philip Pettit is L. S. Rockefeller University Professor of Politics and Human Values at Princeton University, New Jersey and also Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University, Canberra. His books include The Common Mind, Republicanism, Rules, Reasons and Norms and Made with Words: Hobbbes on Language, Mind and Politics. Among his recent co-authored books are The Economy of Esteem, with Geoffrey Brennan; A Political Philosophy in Public Life, with Jose Marti; and Group Agency, with Christian List. A collection of papers on his work, Common Minds: Themes from the Philosophy of Philip Pettit, appeared in 2007.