THE SOURCES AND NATURE OF DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY

Abstract

The article relates to deliberative democracy and focuses on identifying its origins, nature, and indicating its positive and problematic aspects. The article has three parts. In the first part the author indicates the historical origins of deliberative democracy (republicanism, utilitarianism, pragmatism, philosophy of J. Rawls and J. Habermas). The second part contains a discussion of the main assumptions and ideas of deliberative democracy (deliberation, participation, dialogue, persuasion, argumentation, agreement, change of views). The third part presents the good features (formation of political culture, developing the skills of argumentation, importance of education, formation of public opinion, participation of citizens) and some problems of deliberative democracy (proceduralism, axiological neutrality, lack of good reasons, lack of universal agreement, utopianism).

Keywords

• democracy
• society organization
• debate
• rationality
• participation
• morality