Democracies – Moral Justifications For Democracy
We can evaluate democracy in two ways: by its effects on the subjects’ character, and by its instrumental effects on the institutions. We may say that democracy is good because it produces relatively good laws and policies. But this is a very shallow assessment. Democracy can lead to much more. The moral value of a democracy is not the same as its effectiveness. But we can still judge the effectiveness of a democracy from its effects on the subjects’ character. Let’s look at some of the moral justifications for democracy.
One of the arguments for democracy is its ability to exploit cognitive diversity. By involving many people in decision-making, a democracy can take advantage of a variety of sources of information and diverse perspectives on proposed laws. In other words, democracy is more reliable than alternative systems. However, there is no “perfect” democracy. And no country can be a perfect democracy. We need a mix of these two. Aristotle is right, democracy can only be better when it incorporates more citizens into decision-making.
Another way of defining democracy is to consider the various types of democracy. A liberal democracy limits the power of the government, and is usually characterized by a written constitution, checks and balances, and a legal system. It also protects citizens’ civil liberties. Although democracy can mean many things, there is no one, universal definition. Ultimately, democracy means many things to different people. The basic idea is that people have the right to have a voice in their governments.
The definition of democracy is a complex topic, so we can’t use it here. The word democracy is derived from two Greek words that mean “people” and “power”. When people decide for themselves, they have a say. A democracy must involve the people at every level of society, from the top to the lowest. Otherwise, it will revert to a kakistocracy, where the least qualified people rule.
While voting and standing for office are the most obvious forms of participation in democracy, there are many other methods of interacting with a government. For example, women were not allowed to vote in national elections until 1920. If a democracy excludes too many people from participating, it risks becoming an aristocracy or an oligarchy. You can learn more about the principles of democracy by reading the definition below. The foundations of democracy are the same in every country.
In Britain, representative democracy has existed for over 300 years. The UK’s Parliament is made up of elected members from all over the United Kingdom. These representatives represent the constituent interests to the government. In communist countries, the concept of democratic centralism was first developed in 1917 by Vladimir Ulyinov Lenin. Lenin believed that a small vanguard of revolutionaries was needed to lead the revolution and make decisions for the people. In other words, a small group of leaders make decisions for the people, rather than the people themselves.
Freedom of expression is another key democratic value. Freedom of thought and conscience are essential for a functioning democracy. Historically, some governments have limited or even banned freedom of expression in their country. They feared the rise of alternative forms of government, so they put people in prison for having “wrong” thoughts. This is why we refer to prisoners of conscience as intolerant. Furthermore, without a plurality of viewpoints, societies become less open to improvement.
We can evaluate democracy in two ways: by its effects on the subjects’ character, and by its instrumental effects on the institutions. We may say that democracy is good because it produces relatively good laws and policies. But this is a very shallow assessment. Democracy can lead to much more. The moral value of a democracy is not the same as its effectiveness. But we can still judge the effectiveness of a democracy from its effects on the subjects’ character. Let’s look at some of the moral justifications for democracy. One of the arguments for democracy is its ability to exploit cognitive diversity. By involving many people in decision-making, a democracy can take advantage of a variety of sources of information and diverse perspectives on proposed laws. In other words, democracy is more reliable than alternative systems. However, there is no “perfect” democracy. And no country can be a perfect democracy. We need a mix of these two. Aristotle is right, democracy can only be better when it incorporates more citizens into decision-making. Another way of defining democracy is to consider the various types of democracy. A liberal democracy limits the power of the government, and is usually characterized by a written constitution, checks and balances, and a legal system. It also protects citizens’ civil liberties. Although democracy can mean many things, there is no one, universal definition. Ultimately, democracy means many things to different people. The basic idea is that people have the right to have a voice in their governments. The definition of democracy is a complex topic, so we can’t use it here. The word democracy is derived from two Greek words that mean “people” and “power”. When people decide for themselves, they have a say. A democracy must involve the people at every level of society, from the top to the lowest. Otherwise, it will revert to a kakistocracy, where the least qualified people rule. While voting and standing for office are the most obvious forms of participation in democracy, there are many other methods of interacting with a government. For example, women were not allowed to vote in national elections until 1920. If a democracy excludes too many people from participating, it risks becoming an aristocracy or an oligarchy. You can learn more about the principles of democracy by reading the definition below. The foundations of democracy are the same in every country. In Britain, representative democracy has existed for over 300 years. The UK’s Parliament is made up of elected members from all over the United Kingdom. These representatives represent the constituent interests to the government. In communist countries, the concept of democratic centralism was first developed in 1917 by Vladimir Ulyinov Lenin. Lenin believed that a small vanguard of revolutionaries was needed to lead the revolution and make decisions for the people. In other words, a small group of leaders make decisions for the people, rather than the people themselves. Freedom of expression is another key democratic value. Freedom of thought and conscience are essential for a functioning democracy. Historically, some governments have limited or even banned freedom of expression in their country. They feared the rise of alternative forms of government, so they put people in prison for having “wrong” thoughts. This is why we refer to prisoners of conscience as intolerant. Furthermore, without a plurality of viewpoints, societies become less open to improvement.