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Zusatztext "Whether they be 'deliberative liberals,' whose confidence in rationality, science, and technique inspires their democratic quest, or 'agonistic democrats,' those animated by a foundational belief in the citizenship-forming capacity of conflict, these true believers insist on the possibility of profound social transformation with a hope that leans far more on faith than on empirical evidence. Deneen's probing of the origins of this faith is brilliant--an exacting, at times exciting venture into pivotal texts.... What we all need, Deneen implies, is not the absence of faith but a better faith, one that clarifies vision, forges better ties, forces a different reading of our past, and takes us down, down, into the depths of who we, as Americans, as Westerners, and as human beings are." ---Eric Miller, Books & Culture Informationen zum Autor Patrick Deneen Klappentext The American political reformer Herbert Croly wrote, "For better or worse, democracy cannot be disentangled from an aspiration toward human perfectibility." Democratic Faith is at once a trenchant analysis and a powerful critique of this underlying assumption that informs democratic theory. Patrick Deneen argues that among democracy's most ardent supporters there is an oft-expressed belief in the need to "transform" human beings in order to reconcile the sometimes disappointing reality of human self-interest with the democratic ideal of selfless commitment. This "transformative impulse" is frequently couched in religious language, such as the need for political "redemption." This is all the more striking given the frequent accompanying condemnation of traditional religious belief that informs the "democratic faith.? At the same time, because so often this democratic ideal fails to materialize, democratic faith is often subject to a particularly intense form of disappointment. A mutually reinforcing cycle of faith and disillusionment is frequently exhibited by those who profess a democratic faith--in effect imperiling democratic commitments due to the cynicism of its most fervent erstwhile supporters. Deneen argues that democracy is ill-served by such faith. Instead, he proposes a form of "democratic realism" that recognizes democracy not as a regime with aspirations to perfection, but that justifies democracy as the regime most appropriate for imperfect humans. If democratic faith aspires to transformation, democratic realism insists on the central importance of humility, hope, and charity. Zusammenfassung Argues that among democracy's supporters there is a belief in the need to "transform" human beings in order to reconcile the reality of human self-interest with the ideal of selfless commitment. This book proposes a form of "democratic realism" that recognizes democracy the regime appropriate for imperfect humans. Inhaltsverzeichnis ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi PREFACE:WORSHIPING DEMOCRACY:THE PANTEON AND THE GODDESS OF DEMOCRACY xiii INTRODUCTION Dynamics of Democratic Faith 1 PART I: DEMOCRATIC FAITH AND ITS DISCONTENTS CHAPTER 1: Faith in Man 15 CHAPTER 2: Democratic Transformation 50 CHAPTER 3: Democracy as Trial: Toward a Critique of Democratic Faith 84 PART II: VOICES OF THE DEMOCRATIC FAITHFUL CHAPTER 4: Protagoras Unbound: The Democratic Mythology of Protagoras's "Great Speech" 119 CHAPTER 5: Civil Religion and the Democratic Faith of Rousseau 140 CHAPTER 6: American Faith: The Translation of Religious Faith to Democratic Faith 166 PART III: FRIENDLY CRITICS OF DEMOCRATIC FAITH CHAPTER 7: "A Pattern Laid Up in Heaven": Plato's Democratic Ideal 191 CHAPTER 8: The Only Permanent State: Tocqueville on Religion and Democracy 214 CHAPTER 9: Hope in America: The Chastened Faith of Reinhold Niebuhr and Christopher Lasch 239 CONCLUSION: A Model of Democratic Charity 270 NOTES 289 INDEX 361 ...
