Democratic Participation, Engagement and Freedom

• Autores: Cillian McBride
• Localización: The British Journal of Politics & International Relations, ISSN-e 1467-856X, Vol. 15, Nº. 4, 2013, págs. 493-508
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • It is commonly supposed that democracies should encourage greater political participation and civic engagement. This article identifies two distinct perspectives on political participation and civic engagement: a �freedom-centred� model and an �ethical� model. The �freedom-centred� model defended here draws on the republican concept of freedom as non-domination, together with the political liberal notion of fair deliberative proceduralism, while the ethical model draws on Aristotelian, perfectionist, sources. It is argued that the �ethical� model is overly concerned with the �moral renewal� of modern social life, and is insensitive to problems of domination posed by its account of civic reciprocity and trust. By contrast, the �freedom-centred� model developed offers a systematic account of personal and political freedom, which provides qualified support for deliberative modes of participation and engagement.