Democracy and Relativism: A Debate

By Cornelius Castoriadis

Book Overview

In this vibrant debate with intellectuals influenced by Marcel Mauss, including Alain Caill and Chantal Mouffe, the incisive Greek-French activist and philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis addresses the challenge of critical thinking in an international context.

The first half explores the tradition of radical self-critique and the prospect of affirming its value in a non-ethnocentric way. While defending ancient Greek contributions to the Western tradition of radical self-critique -- including the practice of "relativizing" one's own culture, of engaging in philosophical interrogation, and of establishing democratic institutions -- Castoriadis is challenged to explore the trans-contextual features of any self-critical, or "autonomous," social institution. In the second half Castoriadis offers a penetrating critique of representative democracy, and the discussion makes important strides toward a new conception of direct democracy, of political education, and of the institutional prerequisites for the continuation of radical self-critique in politics and philosophy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1786610957
• ISBN13: 9781786610959
• Release Date: November 2019
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 142 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary