Pluralism, Democracy and Political Knowledge: Robert A. Dahl and his Critics on Modern PoliticsRoutledge, 22.04.2016 - 392 Seiten The political discontent or malaise that typifies most modern democracies is mainly caused by the widely shared feeling that the political freedom of citizens to influence the development of their society and, related to this, their personal life, has become rather limited. We can only address this discontent when we rehabilitate politics, the deliberate, joint effort to give direction to society and to make the best of ourselves. In Pluralism, Democracy and Political Knowledge, Hans Blokland examines this challenge via a critical appraisal of the pluralist conception of politics and democracy. This conception was formulated by, above all, Robert A. Dahl, one of the most important political scholars and democratic theorists of the last half century. Taking his work as the point of reference, this book not only provides an illuminating history of political science, told via Dahl and his critics, it also offers a revealing analysis as to what progress we have made in our thinking on pluralism and democracy, and what progress we could make, given the epistemological constraints of the social sciences. Above and beyond this, the development and the problems of pluralism and democracy are explored in the context of the process of modernization. The author specifically discusses the extent to which individualization, differentiation and rationalization contribute to the current political malaise in those countries which adhere to a pluralist political system. |
Inhalt
1 | |
2 An American Preamble | 9 |
3 Foreign Policy and Political Competence | 51 |
4 A Common Point of Departure | 71 |
5 The Behavioralist Mood | 121 |
6 A Logical Analysis of Polyarchy | 149 |
7 Empirical Research on Polyarchy | 163 |
8 Arguments in Defense of Democratic Participation | 199 |
9 Power and Powerlessness Under Polyarchy | 241 |
10 Epistemological Reservations | 275 |
11 Modern Political Science and Rationalization | 309 |
12 Modern and Oldfashioned Politics | 319 |
343 | |
365 | |
Andere Ausgaben - Alle anzeigen
Pluralism, Democracy and Political Knowledge: Robert A. Dahl and his Critics ... Hans Blokland Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2016 |
Pluralism, Democracy and Political Knowledge: Robert A. Dahl and His Critics ... Hans Theodorus Blokland Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2011 |
Pluralism, Democracy and Political Knowledge: Robert A. Dahl and his Critics ... Professor Hans Blokland Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2013 |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
according to Dahl activities asserts assumptions behavior behavioralists Berelson Blokland Chapter choice citizens conception conflict consensus consequences considers criticism critique culture Dahl and Lindblom Dahl’s view David Truman decision democratic discussion Domhoff Easton economic elections electoral elite emphasizes empirical epistemological essentially contested concepts existing explain formulated freedom goals ideas ideology important individual inequality influence interest groups Internet democracy Iraq issues leaders less liberal mainly majority Mannheim means methodological individualism modern Moreover negative freedom Nonetheless normative observes one’s opinion organizations Pateman people’s perspective pluralism pluralists point of departure political participation political parties political scholars political science political scientists political system political theory politicians polyarchy position possible preferences problems question rational reason Reich relations role Schumpeter Schumpeter’s scientific social society stability standpoints theorists theory of democracy thinking Truman values vote voters Weber Wright Mills writes Dahl