Ah, thanks! Really glad to hear you've found the book useful. I love this answer and the way you put it so succinctly and obviously it's very similar to my own view.
My answer is difficult and like yours subject to the conditions in which I am situated. Indeed, it can even vary depending on my mood, If i'm feeling sad and depressed I will come up with more challenges for democracy than if I am feeling more optimistic. I think democracy is the best system enabling diversity of opinion, expression, and ideology but I don't necessarily think this ceases conflict.
There are good reasons to suggest on its own and without sufficient institutional mechanisms democracy provides a dangerous breeding ground for more problems. But if we relied upon an authoritarian solution there just as much if not a greater chance of these same problems emerging. Paradoxically, I see this as small 'd' democracy and authoritarianism's problems. I think the answer is some sort of democracy with institutional capacities guiding its role.
Albeit this is just my formulation atm and may change soon.
My answers informed by your latest book:
* Human conflict is inherent in our being
* democracy gives us a way to adjudicate those conflicts without violence
* therefore democracy is good because it is less violent, and less violent is Good
Ah, thanks! Really glad to hear you've found the book useful. I love this answer and the way you put it so succinctly and obviously it's very similar to my own view.
Even more succinctly, democracy is good because it facilitates the peaceful transfer of power.
Thanks Arnold! I love how succinct this is.
My answer is difficult and like yours subject to the conditions in which I am situated. Indeed, it can even vary depending on my mood, If i'm feeling sad and depressed I will come up with more challenges for democracy than if I am feeling more optimistic. I think democracy is the best system enabling diversity of opinion, expression, and ideology but I don't necessarily think this ceases conflict.
There are good reasons to suggest on its own and without sufficient institutional mechanisms democracy provides a dangerous breeding ground for more problems. But if we relied upon an authoritarian solution there just as much if not a greater chance of these same problems emerging. Paradoxically, I see this as small 'd' democracy and authoritarianism's problems. I think the answer is some sort of democracy with institutional capacities guiding its role.
Albeit this is just my formulation atm and may change soon.