Envisioning Democracy: New Essays after Sheldon Wolin's Political Thought

by Terry Maley (Editor), John R. Wallach (Editor)

Overview

Few terms elicit such strong and varied feelings and yet have so little clarity as "democracy." Leaders of large states use "democracy" to designate their nations’ public character even as critics and rivals use the term to validate their own political perspectives. In Envisioning Democracy, the editors and contributors address the following questions: What does democracy mean today? What could it mean tomorrow? What is the dynamic of democracy in an increasingly interdependent world?

Envisioning Democracy explores these questions amid the dynamic of democracy as a political phenomenon interacting with forms of economic, ethical, ethnic, and intellectual life. The book draws on the work of Sheldon S. Wolin (1922–2015), one of the most influential American theorists of the last fifty years. Here, scholars consider the historical conditions, theoretical elements, and practical impediments to democracy, using Wolin’s insights as touchstones in thinking through the possibilities and obstacles facing democracy now and in the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781487565602
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	03/02/2023
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Terry Maley is an associate professor of politics at York University.
John R. Wallach is a retired professor of political science at Hunter College & The Graduate Center of The City University of New York.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Section 1: Wolin and Democratic Theory – Ancient Roots, Modern Issues

1. Interpreting Democracy in Undemocratic Societies
John R. Wallach

2. Aristotle on Enmity: Ideology, Somatic Justice, and Emotions
Ingrid Creppell

3. Sheldon Wolin and Democratic "Theory"
Jason Frank

Section 2: Memory and Myth in Wolin and Beyond

4. Wolin on Myth: A Critique
Terence Ball

5. Social Amnesia in Canada’s TRC: Sheldon Wolin, Radical Indigenous Thought, and the Settler-Colonial Politics of Reconciliation
Calvin L. Lincez

Section 3: Democracy and Political Education: Wolin and Contemporary Interlocutors

6. Realistic Political Education
Stephen Esquith

7. Wolin and Said on Political Education, Vision, and Intellectual Tradition
Lucy Cane

Section 4: Thinking with and beyond Wolin – Current Democratic Practices and Issues

8. Democracy between Reactionary Tribalism and the Megastate
Iain Webb

9. The Historical Fate of Fugitive Democracy Today
Terry Maley

10. Transformative Sanctuary: Rethinking Fugitive Democracy and Black Fugitivity with Frontline Communities in the Underground Railroad
Romand Coles and Lia Haro

11. Visioning Limits or Unlimited Vision? The Vocation of Political Theory in the Anthropocene
Andrew Biro

What People are Saying About This

Lisa Disch

"This volume comes at a moment when renewed democratic energies are being coupled with strife and division. With sound scholarship and well-argued contributions, Envisioning Democracy situates Sheldon Wolin in his context for those who may not know much about him or his relationship to 1960s Berkeley. It offers a thoughtful history of democracy as both a concept and a politics."

James Tully

"Sheldon Wolin was one of the most original and important political theorists of the last 70 years and Envisioning Democracy is a fitting tribute to his great contribution. The four sections of the volume explicate and engage critically with Wolin's work on the history of political theory, memory and myth, education, and its continuing relevance today. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history and present of political theory."

Editorial Reviews

"Sheldon Wolin was one of the most original and important political theorists of the last 70 years and  Envisioning Democracy is a fitting tribute to his great contribution. The four sections of the volume explicate and engage critically with Wolin’s work on the history of political theory, memory and myth, education, and its continuing relevance today. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history and present of political theory."

—James Tully, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Law, University of Victoria

"This volume comes at a moment when renewed democratic energies are being coupled with strife and division. With sound scholarship and well-argued contributions, Envisioning Democracy situates Sheldon Wolin in his context for those who may not know much about him or his relationship to 1960s Berkeley. It offers a thoughtful history of democracy as both a concept and a politics."

—Lisa Disch, Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan

From the Publisher