Aversive Democracy
Inheritance and Originality in the Democratic Tradition

A fresh insight into the complexities of democratic life and the emergence of new political claims.

Aletta J. Norval (Author)

9780521878425, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 December 2007

248 pages
23.4 x 15.8 x 2 cm, 0.53 kg

'Aversive Democracy should be read by deliberative democrats and post-structuralist radical democrats alike. Deliberative democrats should read the book for its careful and insightful critique of the emphasis on consensus and rationality in deliberative democracy. Post-structuralists should read the book for its careful development of a post-structuralist and radical democratic approach to democracy. In particular, Norval's attempt to develop a conception of democratic argumentation, subjectivity and community is praiseworthy.' Journal of Power

The twenty-first century has brought a renewed interest in democratic theory and practices, creating a complicated relationship between time-honoured democratic traditions and new forms of political participation. Reflecting on this interplay between tradition and innovation, Aletta J. Norval offers fresh insights into the global complexities of the formation of democratic subjectivity, the difficult emergence and articulation of political claims, the constitution of democratic relations between citizens and the deepening of our democratic imagination. Aversive Democracy draws inspiration from a critical engagement with deliberative and post-structuralist models of democracy, whilst offering a distinctive reading inspired by contemporary work on the later Wittgenstein. This is a creative and insightful work which reorients democratic theory, elucidating the character of the commitments we engage in when we participate in democratic life together.

Introduction: towards an aversive account of democracy
1. Democracy, universalization and (dis)agreement
2. Democratic argumentation: rhetoric and imagination
3. Democratic identification and aspect change
4. Democratic subjectivity: the promise of democratic community
5. Conclusion: aversive democracy: exemplarity, imagination and passion.

Subject Areas: Political science & theory [JPA], Social theory [JHBA], Social & political philosophy [HPS]