The Two Faces of Democracy
Decentering Agonism and Deliberation
Published on 10. July 2023
Book
Hardback
210 pages
978-0-19-762388-6 (ISBN)
Description
The democratic imagination is facing significant challenges. These challenges involve not only philosophical questions about the core values of democratic life, but also pressing practical issues related to how we should understand and confront current threats to democracy. Those who want to defend democracy against anti-democratic forces are at odds: some want a politics that puts vehement conflict at the center of democratic strategies, while others assert the necessity of more civil and deliberative strategies. What should our stance be as defenders of democratic life?
In The Two Faces of Democracy, Mary F. (Molly) Scudder and Stephen K. White present an analysis of these two stances, the deliberative and agonistic models of democracy, arguing that neither is adequate on its own. The deliberative model emphasizes reasoned discussion, but some worry that this discounts structures of injustice that distort civil deliberation. The agonistic model prioritizes contestation and conflict, but this prime orientation to defeating political antagonists risks corroding our commitment to normative democratic restraints, like fairness. In developing an understanding of the moral core of democracy, Scudder and White show that these two faces of democratic life each have a significant, but constrained, role to play in a more capacious comprehension of what our democratic commitments require of us. An original and timely contribution to democratic theory, Scudder and White illuminate the tensional congruence of these two faces of democracy, and, in doing so, argue for the importance of both models in the current struggle for a healthy democratic future.
In The Two Faces of Democracy, Mary F. (Molly) Scudder and Stephen K. White present an analysis of these two stances, the deliberative and agonistic models of democracy, arguing that neither is adequate on its own. The deliberative model emphasizes reasoned discussion, but some worry that this discounts structures of injustice that distort civil deliberation. The agonistic model prioritizes contestation and conflict, but this prime orientation to defeating political antagonists risks corroding our commitment to normative democratic restraints, like fairness. In developing an understanding of the moral core of democracy, Scudder and White show that these two faces of democratic life each have a significant, but constrained, role to play in a more capacious comprehension of what our democratic commitments require of us. An original and timely contribution to democratic theory, Scudder and White illuminate the tensional congruence of these two faces of democracy, and, in doing so, argue for the importance of both models in the current struggle for a healthy democratic future.
Reviews / Votes
Scudder and White have written a powerful and welcome contribution to democratic theory in times of democratic crisis. The Two Faces of Democracy accomplishes three things: it advances a new and deeply compelling reading of the two most prominent paradigms in contemporary democratic theory, agonism and deliberation; it argues that each tradition complements the other to form a more adequate picture of both the ideal of democracy and the present crisis we face; it offers a hopeful and realistic view of how we might approach and perhaps even escape destructive misconceptions of democracy circulating in the real world today. This is a wonderful read for anyone who cares about democratic theory and its contribution to democratic culture. * Simone Chambers, Professor and Chair of Political Science, University of California, Irvine * In this very timely and praiseworthy book, aimed at exploring convergence rather than drawing boundaries, Scudder and White eloquently drive home the point that deliberative and agonistic conceptions of democracy share more in common than usually thought. Their underlying aspiration to justice and passionate commitment to equal voice, taken as two moral sources, highlight complementary sides of democracy: the formation of consent and the persistence of contestation. The Two Faces of Democracy offers an insightful and thought-provoking contribution to democratic theory, indispensable for anyone who wishes to stay abreast and ahead of the present debate. * Alessandro Ferrara, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of Rome Tor Vergata * In this bold and original work, Scudder and White propose a framework for reconciling an expansive model of deliberative democracy with a tempered model of agonism. Reconstructing the ethical sources of democracy as autonomy and equality of voice, they show that an adequate understanding of these values requires acknowledgment of the impulses expressed in both deliberative and agonistic faces of democracy. Written with great lucidity, this is a book that should be widely read and thoughtfully pondered. * David Owen, Professor of Politics and International Relations, University of Southampton * The book provides a valuable review and critique of the recent history of these two modes of democratic theory...Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. * Choice *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 156 mm
Width: 235 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
435 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-762388-6 (9780197623886)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
06/2023
Oxford University Press Inc
€29.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
E-Book
03/2023
OUP eBook
€18.49
Available for download
E-Book
03/2023
OUP eBook
€18.49
Available for download
Persons
Mary F. Scudder is Associate Professor of Political Science at Purdue University. She is the author of Beyond Empathy and Inclusion: The Challenge of Listening in Democratic Deliberation. Mary F. (Molly) Scudder is also an Associate of the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra, Australia.
Stephen K. White is James Hart Professor of Politics Emeritus and Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. He is the author of six books in the areas of democratic theory, critical theory, and modern political thought.
Stephen K. White is James Hart Professor of Politics Emeritus and Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. He is the author of six books in the areas of democratic theory, critical theory, and modern political thought.
Author
Associate Professor of Political ScienceAssociate Professor of Political Science, Purdue University
James Hart Professor of Politics Emeritus and Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in CultureJames Hart Professor of Politics Emeritus and Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia
Content
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction: The Challenge of Imagining Democracy Today
2. The Deliberative Turn and U-Turn in Democratic Theory
3. The Deliberative Face
4. The Agonistic Face
5. Re-envisioning the Core of Democracy
6. An Exemplary Scene of the Moral Equality of Voice
7. Conclusion: The Communicative Model of Democracy
Bibliography
Index
1. Introduction: The Challenge of Imagining Democracy Today
2. The Deliberative Turn and U-Turn in Democratic Theory
3. The Deliberative Face
4. The Agonistic Face
5. Re-envisioning the Core of Democracy
6. An Exemplary Scene of the Moral Equality of Voice
7. Conclusion: The Communicative Model of Democracy
Bibliography
Index