A passion for democracy : American essays
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Bibliographic Information
A passion for democracy : American essays
（Princeton paperbacks）
Princeton University Press, 2000, c1998
- : pbk
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Note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Benjamin Barber is one of America's preeminent political theorists. He has been a significant voice in the continuing debate about the nature and role of democracy in the contemporary world. A Passion for Democracy collects twenty of his most important writings on American democracy. Together they refine his distinctive position in democratic theory. Barber's conception of "strong democracy" contrasts with traditional concepts of "liberal democracy," especially in its emphasis on citizen participation in central issues of public debate. These essays critique the "thin representation" of liberal democracy and buttress the arguments presented in Barber's twelve books, most recently in his well-received Jihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism Are Re-shaping the World. In these pieces, Barber argues for participatory democracy without dependence on abstract metaphysical foundations, and he stresses the relationship among democracy and civil society, civic education, and culture. A Passion for Democracy is divided into four sections.
In the first, "American Theory: Democracy, Liberalism, and Rights," Barber addresses issues of ongoing relevance to today's debates about the roots of participatory democracy, including individualism vs. community, the importance of consent, and the irrelevance of Marxism. Essays in the second section, "American Practice: Leadership, Citizenship, and Censorship" provide a "strong democracy" critique of American democratic practice. "Education for Democracy: Civic Education, Service, and Citizenship" applies Barber's theories to three related topics and includes his much-discussed essay "America Skips School." The final section, "Democracy and Technology: Endless Frontier or End of Democracy?" provides glimpses into a future that technology alone cannot secure for democracy. In his preface, Barber writes: "In these essays ...I have been hard on my country. Like most ardent democrats, I want more for it than it has achieved, despite the fact that it has achieved more than most people have dared to want." This wide-ranging collection displays not only his passion for democracy, but also his unique perspective on issues of abiding importance for the democratic process.
Table of Contents
PrefaceAcknowledgmentsPt. IAmerican Theory: Democracy, Liberalism, and RightsCh. 1Liberal Democracy and the Costs of Consent3Ch. 2Foundationalism and Democracy19Ch. 3Why Democracy Must Be Liberal: An Epitaph for Marxism31Ch. 4The Compromised Republic: Public Purposelessness in America41Ch. 5The Rights of We the People Are All the Rights There Are60Ch. 6Have Rights Gone Wrong? The Reconstruction of Rights79Pt. IIAmerican Practice: Leadership, Citizenship, and CensorshipCh. 7Neither Leaders nor Followers: Citizenship under Strong Democracy95Ch. 8Command Performance: Where Have All the Leaders Gone?111Ch. 9The Undemocratic Party System: Citizenship in an Elite/Mass Society119Ch. 10One Nation Indivisible or a Compact of Sovereign States? The Two Faces of Federalism134Ch. 11The Market as Censor in a World of Consumer Totalism143Pt. IIIEducation for Democracy: Civic Education, Service, and CitizenshipCh. 12Thomas Jefferson and the Education of the Citizen161Ch. 13The Civic Mission of the University178Ch. 14Service, Citizenship, and Democracy: Civic Duty as an Entailment of Civil Right187Ch. 15Cultural Conservatism and Democratic Education: Lessons from the Sixties203Ch. 16America Skips School: Why We Talk So Much about Education and Do So Little214Ch. 17Education for Democracy225Pt. IVDemocracy and Technology: Endless Frontier or End of Democracy?Ch. 18The Second American Revolution237Ch. 19Pangloss, Pandora, or Jefferson? Three Scenarios for the Future of Technology and Democracy245Ch. 20The New Telecommunications Technology: Endless Frontier or the End of Democracy?258Index283
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