Demopolis
Democracy before Liberalism in Theory and Practice

What did democracy mean before liberalism? What are the consequences for our lives today? These questions are examined by this book.

Josiah Ober (Author)

9781316649831, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 14 July 2017

222 pages
22.7 x 15.2 x 1.1 cm, 0.36 kg

'Ober concludes that basic democracy might form an alternative foundation in light of current challenges to liberalism, such as populist nationalism. This conclusion will not convince all, but Ober's work is thorough and thought-provoking. Highly Recommended.' J. Heyrman, Choice

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.

List of figures and tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
Note on the text
1. Basic democracy
2. The meaning of democracy in classical Athens
3. Founding Demopolis
4. Legitimacy and civic education
5. Human capacities and civic participation
6. Civic dignity and other necessary conditions
7. Delegation and expertise
8. A theory of democracy
Epilogue. Democracy after liberalism
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Liberalism & centre democratic ideologies [JPFK], History of ideas [JFCX]