American Dionysia - Violence, Tragedy, and Democratic Politics

American Dionysia reveals that classic and contemporary resources of tragedy can counter the violence inherent in democracy.

List of contents

Introduction: antinomies of democracy; 1. American dionysia; 2. Democracy at war with itself: citizens; 3. Democracy at war with itself: animals; 4. Forcing democracy to be free: Rousseau to Springsteen; 5. Two cheers for democratic violence; 6. New tragic democratic traditions; 7. Conclusion: democracy's tragic affirmations.

About the author

Steven Johnston is the Neal A. Maxwell Chair in Political Theory, Public Policy, and Public Service in the Department of Political Science at the University of Utah. He is the author of The Truth about Patriotism (2007) and Encountering Tragedy: Rousseau and the Project of Democratic Order (1999). He has published articles in Theory and Event, Contemporary Political Theory, Strategies, Political Research Quarterly, and Polity. In 2013 he founded the Neal A. Maxwell Lecture Series in Political Theory and Contemporary Politics. He is a regular contributor to the academic theory and politics blog, The Contemporary Condition.

Summary

Exposing many of democracy's ugly secrets, American Dionysia demonstrates that classic and contemporary resources of tragedy can counter the violence inherent in it. Ironically, this may require not only anti-democratic remedies, but also the deployment of democratic violence - both in the name of democracy itself.

Product details

• Authors: Steven Johnston, Steven (University of Utah) Johnston, Steven James Johnston, Johnston Steven
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 12.05.2015
• EAN: 9781107100602
• ISBN: 978-1-107-10060-2
• No. of pages: 303
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Democracy, POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory, Political science & theory, Political structures: democracy, United States of America, USA, Political science and theory, Violence and abuse in society