Reading:
This reading is the editorial of the Democratic Theory Journal written by Mark Chou and Emily Beausoleil. The reading sets out to explore how different forms of democracies need to be further explored, beyond the form of liberal democracy that has been the standard in the 21st century. It is an exploratory piece of writing, that could be seen as controversial, challenging our notion of democracy often makes people uneasy. However- a core feature of this article is the idea that democracy as we know it does not need a complete overhaul, rather that by excluding democratic forms outside of what we know is limiting, and further exploring them could lead to a revitalisation of democracy, and discover ideas that could help mend some of democracies flaws. The article explores the idea using the term "Illiberal democracies." Illiberal democracies refers to forms of democracy that exist outside of the idea of the '21st century Liberal Democracy.' Using this to explore the idea that democracy is not inherently eurocentric and liberal, and forms of it could prosper in some societies.
The article begins by explaining 3 core arguments as to why we should engage and explore different democracies outside of the Anglo-American vision. These arguments are:
Normative demand
Normative demand of engagement calls into question the values of democracy. If democratic principles include equality and inclusion, then to exclude is to mirror a core flaw of democracy. By assuming that the values that align with 21st Century ideas of democracy are universal, you are pointing out the marginalisation that exists within democracy. Democracy exists as a way to manage differences and disagreements in society- to allow for change. To have a democracy that lives up to these principles, means exploring non-dominant perspectives.
Practical demand
The practical demand is that exploring different perspectives can lead to new ways of democracy working. It can inform and reinvigorate our current systems of democracy. As quoted in the article: “opening awareness of the breadth of democratic forms gives people the means to deepen, strengthen and develop democratic practice and the opportunity to promulgate democracy more widely.” By allowing democratic ideas to spread and evolve, democracy can become more accessible and open, and we can further explore some contradictions of our democracy.
Epistemological
The epistemological argument revolves around the idea that current political theory puts too much emphasis on the currently dominant ideas of democracy, thus leading to oversight and misunderstanding of other ideas of democracy. Even when studying different ideas of democracy, often the concepts and values that we apply are too limiting. The complexity and diversity of other cultures can be misread by those studying. Similar ideas such as freedom and equality may exist in these other systems, but can be understood, interpreted, and shaped differently by history and culture. Exploring these differences can aid in the way that we define and limit democratic values.
Because of this "Only those who identify with the current narrative.. will speak about democracy and undertake to theorize its existence." Our current understanding of democracy has been shaped by a Eurocentric history, meaning that those who have a very different history see democracy itself as inherently Eurocentric, and thus deny it. This is despite the fact that many have fought for similar values.
The migration and translation of democratic values has inexplicable positives to our understanding of what democracy is and what it can look like.
Consequences of this thinking:
Now that the arguments as to why we should study it- the paper explores deeper into these ideas and how they apply to us.
The main consequence outlined in this article is that new ideas, perspectives, and practices are misunderstood to the point where they are labeled "non democratic" or even "anti-democratic." Hybrid and/or unique regimes are seen as "half-baked" democracies, as they do not live up to the liberal standard of what a democracy should precisely look like, despite having the values and some practices of democracies behind them.
As mentioned, these are labeled in the paper as "illiberal democracies." These forms of democracies show that a future welded by democracy, does not have to binded to liberalism or eurocentricity. The article points out that “Just as nations across the world have become comfortable with many variations of capitalism,” he contends that “they could well adopt and sustain varied forms of democracy.”
This idea goes on to show that democracy as we know it may not be the final destination, and that by containing democracy to a very strict and rigid demonstration, we limit the possibilities. This is about acknowledging cultural diversity as it is about the need to "democratize democratic theory." The article states: "The projection of democracy’s global future, is one premised on “the export of democratic institutions, developed within a particular cultural context in the...” that has as its culmination “the end of history” and the triumph of ... liberal democracy in all corners of the globe. "
Due to the nature of this article being introductory, we do miss out on some in depth explanations of the case studies laid out to be explored. However I would recommend reading further if this is a topic you are particularly interested in! The further articles in the Journal delve into South African, Ghandian, and Pacific forms of government and their relations and visions of democracy.
As we have navigated this course, we have explored what defines a democracy. This article can aid in our thinking of the definition and how we explore the topic in the future. I think it's interesting to have this article to contribute to the changing visions of democracy, while the ideas and values remain similar. It will be crucial as we look to the future in our changing world. If we took this course 20 years ago, or 20 years in the future, how would the vision of democracy and non-democracy change?
In conclusion, a key thing to keep in mind while we study the ideas of democracy is keeping in mind that we have an idea of democracy as a liberal democracy in the 21st century, other forms of democracy have existed, and will exist in the future. By keeping our minds locked in on this eurocentric idealisation of democracy, we miss the positives that could come from understanding different perspectives from other cultures and histories. As mentioned, excluding democratic forms outside of what we know is limiting, and further exploring them could lead to a revitalisation of democracy, and discover ideas that could help mend some of democracies flaws.
Reference
Chou, Mark, and Emily Beausoleil. “Non- (Redacted) Theories of Democracy.” Democratic Theory 2, no. 2 (January 1, 2015): 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3167/dt.2015.020201.
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