The Democratic Paradox
From the theory of ‘deliberative democracy’ to the politics of the ‘third way’, the present Zeitgeist is characterized by attempts to deny what Chantal Mouffe contends is the inherently conflictual nature of democratic politics. Far from being signs of progress, such ideas constitute a serious threat to democratic institutions. Taking issue with John Rawls and Jürgen Habermas on one side, and the political tenets of Blair, Clinton and Schröder on the other, Mouffe brings to the fore the paradoxical nature of modern liberal democracy in which the category of the ‘adversary’ plays a central role. She draws on the work of Wittgenstein, Derrida, and the provocative theses of Carl Schmitt, to propose a new understanding of democracy which acknowledges the ineradicability of antagonism in its workings.
Paperback, 224 pages
ISBN: 9781844673551
June 2009
$17.95 / £6.99
- Purchase
-
Part of the Radical Thinkers series
Reviews
-
Important and timely.
Discussions
Begin a discussionOther books by Chantal Mouffe
-
The Return of the Political
A powerful new understanding of citizenship, democracy and pluralism.
-
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy
by Ernesto Laclau, and Chantal Mouffe
How is the present crisis of left-wing thought to be understood?
-
The Challenge of Carl Schmitt
Edited by Chantal Mouffe
A thought-provoking collection of responses to Carl Schmitt in a “post-political” age.
-
Dimensions of Radical Democracy
Edited by Chantal Mouffe
What kinds of “citizen” and “community” might be required by a new, radical and plural democracy?