A Passion for Democracy: American Essays

By Benjamin R. Barber

Book Overview

Benjamin Barber is one of America's preeminent political theorists. He has been a significant voice in the continuing debate about the nature and role of democracy in the contemporary world. A Passion for Democracy collects twenty of his most important writings on American democracy. Together they refine his distinctive position in democratic theory. Barber's conception of "strong democracy" contrasts with traditional concepts of "liberal democracy," especially in its emphasis on citizen participation in central issues of public debate. These essays critique the "thin representation" of liberal democracy and buttress the arguments presented in Barber's twelve books, most recently in his well-received Jihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism Are Re-shaping the World. In these pieces, Barber argues for participatory democracy without dependence on abstract metaphysical foundations, and he stresses the relationship among democracy and civil society, civic education, and culture.

A Passion for Democracy is divided into four sections. In the first, "American Theory: Democracy, Liberalism, and Rights," Barber addresses issues of ongoing relevance to today's debates about the roots of participatory democracy, including individualism vs. community, the importance of consent, and the irrelevance of Marxism. Essays in the second section, "American Practice: Leadership, Citizenship, and Censorship" provide a "strong democracy" critique of American democratic practice. "Education for Democracy: Civic Education, Service, and Citizenship" applies Barber's theories to three related topics and includes his much-discussed essay "America Skips School." The final section, "Democracy and Technology: Endless Frontier or End of Democracy?" provides glimpses into a future that technology alone cannot secure for democracy.

In his preface, Barber writes: "In these essays ... I have been hard on my country. Like most ardent democrats, I want more for it than it has achieved, despite the fact that it has achieved more than most people have dared to want." This wide-ranging collection displays not only his passion for democracy, but also his unique perspective on issues of abiding importance for the democratic process.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691050244
• ISBN13: 9780691050249
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Required reading for any US citizen

I saw Benjamin Barber on PBS late July 2004, and checked out this book from the local library. One essay alone "Civic Mission of the University" should be required reading for anyone involved in education; student, parent, teacher, or just taxpayer. Barber's prose is dense and not an easy read for people accustomed to lesser scribes, but every word counts, and he writes with dry humor throughout; I laughed as he enlightened me. It may require slow, thorough re-readings to absorb the entire content, very much like Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", which is the closest thing I can think of to compare it to. Pirsig's book explores the self, and Barber does the same for society. Both are worth the time it takes to understand. One essay alone justifies buying the whole book, but after that there's a lot more. I ordered it just so I could have it to explore its depths at leisure. As to the five-year-old review, I quote from the first edition on page 183 of the very essay I mentioned above: "The conditions of truth and the conditions of democracy are one and the same... And just as no argument will be privileged over other arguments simply because of how or from whom it originates, so no individual will be privileged over other individuals simply because of who he is (white or male or straight) and where he comes from [old money, good Protestant stock, the United States of America)." Barber doesn't waste time and effort catering to the politically correct, and thereby sacrificing clarity. As is normal usage, he includes she, etc. Certainly Barber could have phrased "(white or male or straight)" as "(white or black or brown or yellow; female or male or neuter; straight or gay or bisexual)", but that would have just made it harder to read. A clear reading shows that all those were implied in Barber's concise version, without sacrificing clarity. I mention this because I feel the single 1999 review needed balancing. Five Stars. No less relevant in 2004.

interesting but not always satisfactory

This white male author seems to be unable to contextualize the sufferings and enslavement of Women and Minorities. His self-congratulatory pose as someone who wants "his" country to be better is offensive to those of us on the front lines combatting the patriarchal eurocentric paradigms in this country. Perhaps if he were to better acquaint himself with the incredibly courageous writings of bell hooks and Luc Irigaray, he might better articulate the sufferings of those who have been marginalized by white males.