Democracy in Moderation
Montesquieu, Tocqueville, and Sustainable Liberalism
Published on 6. April 2016
978-1-316-56034-1 (ISBN)
Description
Democracy in Moderation views constitutional liberal democracy as grounded in a principle of avoiding extremes and striking the right balance among its defining principles of liberty, equality, religion, and sustainable order, thus tempering tendencies toward sectarian excess. Such moderation originally informed liberal democracy, but now is neglected. Moderation can guide us intellectually and practically about domestic and foreign policy debates, but also serve the sustainability of the constitutional, liberal republic as a whole. Our recent theory thus doesn't help our practice, given our concerns about polarization and sectarianism in ideas, policy, and politics. A rediscovery of Montesquieu and his legacy in shaping America's complex political order, including influence on Washington's practical moderation and Tocqueville's philosophical moderation, addresses these enduring theoretical and practical problems. Moderation also offers a deeper theory of leadership or statesmanship, particularly regarding religion and politics, and of foreign policy and strategy rooted in liberal democracy's first principles.
Reviews / Votes
'In Democracy in Moderation: Montesquieu, Tocqueville, and Sustainable Liberalism, Paul O.Carrese puts the political turbulence of the present moment in perspective. The propensity toward partisanship and polarization so conspicuous in today's politics, he observes, has antecedents in America's founding. But also present at the founding, he argues, was a sophisticated 'philosophy of moderation' that underwrote American constitutional government.' Peter Berkowitz, Real Clear Politics (www.realclearpolitics.com)More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Cambridge University Press
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
1 Halftones, unspecified; 1 Halftones, black and white
File size
2572,01 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-316-56034-1 (9781316560341)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
04/2016
Cambridge University Press
€127.30
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Paul O. Carrese is Professor of Political Science at the United States Air Force Academy. He has been a Rhodes Scholar, research fellow at Harvard University, Massachusetts, Fulbright Scholar at the University of Delhi, and a Fellow of the James Madison Program, Princeton University, New Jersey.
Content
Part I. Tocquevillean Moderation in Philosophy and Founding: 1. Montesquieu's philosophy of moderation - natural right, liberalism, constitutionalism; 2. Washington's harmony - the balance of traditions in the American founding; 3. Tocqueville's deepening of modern moderation; Part II. Moderation and Statesmanship, at Home and Abroad: 4. Religion and liberty in America - the spirit of Montesquieu and Tocqueville; 5. Moderation, American grand strategy, and Washington's statesmanship; 6. Constitutionalist political science - Storing's moderation and our polarization.
