Partisanship And Political Liberalism In Diverse Societies
by Matteo Bonotti /
2017 / English / PDF
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Since its publication in 1993, John Rawls's
Since its publication in 1993, John Rawls'sPolitical
Liberalism
Political
Liberalism has been central to debates concerning political
legitimacy, democratic theory, toleration, and multiculturalism in
contemporary political theory. Yet, despite the immense body of
literature which has been produced since Rawls's work was
published, very little has been said or written regarding the place
of political parties and partisanship within political liberalism.
This book aims to fill this gap in the literature. Its central
argument is that political liberalism needs and nourishes political
parties, and that political parties are therefore not hostile but
vital to it. First, partisanship generates its own distinctive kind
of political obligations, additional to any political obligations
people may have qua ordinary citizens. Second, contrary to what
many critics argue, and despite its admittedly restrictive
features, Rawls's conception of public reason allows significant
scope for partisan advocacy and partisan pluralism, and in fact the
very normative demands of partisanship are in syntony with those of
public reason. Third, parties contribute to the overlapping
consensus that for Rawls guarantees stability in diverse societies.
Fourth, political liberalism nourishes political parties, by
leaving many issues, including religious and socio-economic ones,
open to democratic contestation. In summary, parties contribute
both to the legitimacy and to the stability of political
liberalism.
has been central to debates concerning political
legitimacy, democratic theory, toleration, and multiculturalism in
contemporary political theory. Yet, despite the immense body of
literature which has been produced since Rawls's work was
published, very little has been said or written regarding the place
of political parties and partisanship within political liberalism.
This book aims to fill this gap in the literature. Its central
argument is that political liberalism needs and nourishes political
parties, and that political parties are therefore not hostile but
vital to it. First, partisanship generates its own distinctive kind
of political obligations, additional to any political obligations
people may have qua ordinary citizens. Second, contrary to what
many critics argue, and despite its admittedly restrictive
features, Rawls's conception of public reason allows significant
scope for partisan advocacy and partisan pluralism, and in fact the
very normative demands of partisanship are in syntony with those of
public reason. Third, parties contribute to the overlapping
consensus that for Rawls guarantees stability in diverse societies.
Fourth, political liberalism nourishes political parties, by
leaving many issues, including religious and socio-economic ones,
open to democratic contestation. In summary, parties contribute
both to the legitimacy and to the stability of political
liberalism.
