Democratic Philosophy

Abstract

D emocratic philosophy could refer to all of democratic theory, or to ways that philosophy can support democratic government and politics. If philosophy is the exploration of the basis for fundamental beliefs and the concepts expressing them, a democratic philosophy articulates the underlying principles of a democratic system of governance. Through deeper reflection than is found in daily politics, it can provide a well-thought-out basis for our institutions and processes, and also a deeper dimension to the justifications offered for public policies-one that resonates with a majority of the people and also with the underlying principles of a democratic system of governance, such as equality, freedom from domination, and self-rule. Furthermore, a democratic philosophy reaches beyond institutions and systems to examine the practices, habits, movements, mentalities, and dispositions necessary both to support those institutions and to challenge them when they ossify into oligarchic and other undemocratic forms. Democracy as a lived experience, especially in times of crisis and deep insecurity, is nurtured by fundamental inquiry into what it means to be a citizen and what it means to be a political subject more broadly. Finally, democratic philosophy can denote something more than a philosophy of democracy-it can also signify a publicly oriented and civically engaged way of doing conceptual and ethical inquiry. This issue's symposium on "The Challenges Facing Democrats," edited by Nicole Mellow and Rogers Smith, argues that in order to effectively confront the rise of right-wing populism, Democrats need to develop a more robust, substantive public philosophy. 1 In "An Identity Crisis for the Democrats," Mellow calls