Democracy and Morality: Religious and Secular Views

Democracy is a dominant principle and practice to legitimate political power in the modern world, but its relationship with other moral traditions is not well understood. This volume explores the relationship between these moral traditions and democracy, including the way in which the moral and religious perspectives have adapted in their encounter with democratic ideals and have themselves modified democratic theory and practice. The contributors focus on various dimensions in which the two have engaged, such as participation, the scope of democracy, and the relationship between democratic principles and the moral traditions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 06 February 2024
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Democracy is a dominant principle and practice to legitimate political power in the modern world, and yet its relationship with other moral traditions is not well understood. Some, but not all, commitments with it (feminism, Classical and Egalitarian variants of Liberalism) are universal theories and tend to be suspicious of democratic legitimacy arguments – since 'the people who are the source of democratic legitimacy might support some things that are contrary to justice, as described in the tradition'. Yet, appeal to democracy remains one of the most powerful appeals to legitimize political power in the contemporary world. This volume is interested in the relationship between democracy and moral traditions whose origins either precede the democratic ideal of legitimacy (Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Natural Law) or developed in some sense along side the democratic ideal and share some of its commitments. This volume explores the relationship between these moral traditions and democracy, including the way in which the moral and religious perspectives have adapted in their encounter with democratic ideals, and have themselves modified democratic theory and practice.

This is a work in comparative ethics. The contributors, each an expert in one of these traditions, show how that tradition has confronted democracy – and considers different dimensions in which the traditions have engaged with the tradition. To orient the engagement between democratic principles and the moral traditions, the contributors focus on various dimensions in which the two have engaged. The contributors consider their traditions' views of participation, including eligibility for participation and opportunities to do so, including inclusivity.

Democracy is a dominant principle and practice to legitimate political power in the modern world, and yet its relationship with other moral traditions is not well understood. Some, but not all, commitments with it (feminism, Classical and Egalitarian variants of Liberalism) are universal theories and tend to be suspicious of democratic legitimacy arguments – since 'the people who are the source of democratic legitimacy might support some things that are contrary to justice, as described in the tradition'. Yet, appeal to democracy remains one of the most powerful appeals to legitimize political power in the contemporary world. This volume is interested in the relationship between democracy and moral traditions whose origins either precede the democratic ideal of legitimacy (Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Natural Law) or developed in some sense along side the democratic ideal and share some of its commitments. This volume explores the relationship between these moral traditions and democracy, including the way
way in which the moral and religious perspectives have adapted in their encounter with democratic ideals, and have themselves modified democratic theory and practice.

This is a work in comparative ethics. The contributors, each an expert in one of these traditions, show how that tradition has confronted democracy – and considers different dimensions in which the traditions. The contributors focus on various dimensions in which the two have engaged. The contributors consider their traditions' views of participation, including eligibility for participation and opportunities to do so, including inclusivity.

Democracy is a dominant principle and practice to legitimate political power in the modern world, and yet its relationship with other moral traditions is not well understood. Some, but not all, commitments with it (feminism, Classical and Egalitarian variants of Liberalism) are universal theories and tend to be suspicious of democratic legitimacy arguments – since 'the people who are the source of democratic legitimacy might support some things that are contrary to justice, as described in the tradition'. Yet, appeal to democracy remains one of the most powerful appeals to legitimize political power in the contemporary world. This volume is interested in the relationship between democracy and moral traditions whose origins. This volume explores the relationship between these moral traditions and democracy, including the way
way in which the moral and religious perspectives have adapted in their encounter with democratic ideals, and have themselves modified democratic theory and practice.

This is a work in comparative ethics. The contributors, each an expert in one of these traditions, show how that tradition has confronted democracy – and considers different dimensions in which the traditions have engaged with the tradition. The contributors focus on various dimensions in which the two have engaged. The contributors consider their traditions' views of participation, including eligibility for participation and opportunities to do so, including inclusivity.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538188903