More Democracy

Abstract

This is a very simple essay, arguing that Dewey's emphasis on democracy as a social rather than a political system that aims to create a 'great community' or 'community of communities' must be supplemented by more 'realism' about the basis of democratic politics in practice, and less squeamishness about social conflict, especially class-conflict. The paper argues that modern democracies are in any event not democracies, and raises the question whether we a) could institute true - Athenian - democracy, and b) would like it. My answer is yes to a) and no to b).