Human Diversity and Democratic Institutions

Abstract

Individuals do not flourish as isolated atoms. People do best living in communities, guided by each other and challenged by institutional demands. Like individuals, institutions vary greatly, even when they operate fully within the constraints of morality and sound values. But just as pluralism at the individual level does not imply that there are no universally valid standards of individual conduct, institutional pluralism is compatible with universally valid principles of social ethics and of political obligation. This chapter looks at the kinds of institutions that have tended to be central in free democracies: universities, churches, the press and other media, and the main branches of government, especially the legislative and judicial. It considers some normative standards that apply to them, as well as standards that apply directly just to individuals.