Demopolis

Democracy before Liberalism in Theory and Practice

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory, Social Science
Cover of the book Demopolis by Josiah Ober, Cambridge University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Josiah Ober ISBN: 9781108245487
Publisher: Cambridge University Press Publication: July 14, 2017
Imprint: Cambridge University Press Language: English
Author: Josiah Ober
ISBN: 9781108245487
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication: July 14, 2017
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Language: English

What did democracy mean before liberalism? What are the consequences for our lives today? Combining history with political theory, this book restores the core meaning of democracy as collective and limited self-government by citizens. That, rather than majority tyranny, is what democracy meant in ancient Athens, before liberalism. Participatory self-government is the basis of political practice in 'Demopolis', a hypothetical modern state powerfully imagined by award-winning historian and political scientist Josiah Ober. Demopolis' residents aim to establish a secure, prosperous, and non-tyrannical community, where citizens govern as a collective, both directly and through representatives, and willingly assume the costs of self-government because doing so benefits them, both as a group and individually. Basic democracy, as exemplified in real Athens and imagined Demopolis, can provide a stable foundation for a liberal state. It also offers a possible way forward for religious societies seeking a realistic alternative to autocracy.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

What did democracy mean before liberalism? What are the consequences for our lives today? Combining history with political theory, this book restores the core meaning of democracy as collective and limited self-government by citizens. That, rather than majority tyranny, is what democracy meant in ancient Athens, before liberalism. Participatory self-government is the basis of political practice in 'Demopolis', a hypothetical modern state powerfully imagined by award-winning historian and political scientist Josiah Ober. Demopolis' residents aim to establish a secure, prosperous, and non-tyrannical community, where citizens govern as a collective, both directly and through representatives, and willingly assume the costs of self-government because doing so benefits them, both as a group and individually. Basic democracy, as exemplified in real Athens and imagined Demopolis, can provide a stable foundation for a liberal state. It also offers a possible way forward for religious societies seeking a realistic alternative to autocracy.

More books from Cambridge University Press

Cover of the book Affective Communities in World Politics by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book The Platonic Art of Philosophy by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book Poetry, Media, and the Material Body by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book The Economics of Network Industries by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book The Christian Schism in Jewish History and Jewish Memory by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book The Economics of Climate Change by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book The Rise of Gay Rights and the Fall of the British Empire by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book Two Roads Diverge by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book Diffusion of Democracy by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book The Cambridge Companion to the Modernist Novel by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book Piracy and the State by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book A History of Singing by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book An Introduction to Description Logic by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book Duelling for Supremacy by Josiah Ober
Cover of the book Death and the American South by Josiah Ober
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy