Democratic Theorists in Conversation: Turns in Contemporary Thought

Democracy has changed considerably in recent years to the extent that our contemporary understanding differs greatly from long-held democratic values. In this collection, renowned democratic theorists from Noam Chomsky to Francis Fukuyama give their thoughts on 'new democratic theory' and its implications for the study and practice of democracy.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction: New Democratic Theory? 2. The Impossibility of 'Knowing' Democracy; with John Dunn 3. The Changing History of Democracy; with Albert Weale 4. Democracy Before and After the State; with Francis Fukuyama 5. The Cultural Turn in New Democratic Theory; with Ramin Jahanbegloo 6. Questions about the New Democratic Theory; with David Held 7. The Reflexive Modernisation of Democracy; with Ulrich Beck 8. Twists of Democratic Governance; with John Dryzek 9. Certain Turns of Modernity in Democratic Theory; with Pierre Rosanvallon 10. Broadening the Democratic Imagination; with John Keane 11. Nonhuman Democratic Practice; with Thomas Seeley 12. Global Leviathan Rising; with Noam Chomsky 13. Conclusion; Shapes of the Frontier

About the Author :
Ulrich Beck, University of Munich (LMU), Germany and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA John Dryzek, Australian National University, Australia John Dunn, University of Cambridge, UK and Chiba University, Japan Francis Fukuyama, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, USA David Held, University of Durham, UK Ramin Jahanbegloo, York University, Canada John Keane, University of Sydney, Australia and Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB), Germany Pierre Rosanvallon, Collège de France, France Thomas Seeley, Cornell University, USA Albert Weale, University College London, UK

Review :
'This book is a must for anyone interested in new ways of thinking about democracy. The lively and engaging style of the conversations with leading theorists made the collection a compelling read from start to finish.' Paulina Tambakaki, Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster, UK 'Democratic Theorists in Conversation is a timely, kaleidoscopic set of stimulating interviews, producing fresh and surprising insights into the past, present, and possibly future practices of democracy.' Nikolas Kompridis, Professorial Fellow in Philosophy, University of Western Sydney, Australia 'The interview is an under-utilized but hugely rewarding resource in political theory. In this book the reader gets to listen-in to conversations with leading philosophers and intellectuals as they speak in their own words about the challenges and hopes of democracy today.' Simone Chambers, Professor of Political Theory, Department of Political Science, University of Toronto, Canada