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In their efforts to uncover the principles of a robust conception of democracy, theorists of deliberative democracy place a premium on the role of political expression - public speech and reasoned debate - as the key to democratic processes. They also frequently hark back to historical antecedents (as in the Habermasian invocation of the "public sphere" of eighteenth-century bourgeois society and the Arendtian valorization of the classical Athenian polis) in their quest to establish that deliberative procedures are more than "merely theoretical" and instead have a practical application. But for all this emphasis on the discursive and historical dimensions of democracy, these theorists have generally neglected the rich resources available in the history of rhetorical theory and practice. It is the purpose of Talking Democracy to resurrect this history and show how attention to rhetoric can help lead to a better understanding of both the strengths and limitations of current theories of deliberative democracy.--BOOK JACKET.
This book argues that the study of deliberative democracy has overlooked the crucial role of rhetorical theory and practice. The author contends that while theorists of deliberative democracy emphasize public speech and historical precedents, they have largely neglected the rich resources available in the history of rhetoric. This work aims to resurrect that history and demonstrate how a focus on rhetoric can enhance our understanding of both the strengths and limitations of contemporary deliberative democratic theories.
The book's central thesis posits that the field of deliberative democracy has underutilized the historical and theoretical resources of rhetoric. It aims to bridge this gap by demonstrating how rhetorical analysis can deepen the understanding of democratic discourse and its inherent challenges. The work is positioned as a contribution to political theory and the study of democratic processes, offering a novel perspective by integrating rhetorical studies.
Page Count:
337
Publication Date:
2004-01-01
ISBN-10:
0271024569
ISBN-13:
9780271024561
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