Abraham Lincoln once defined democracy as the government of the people, for the people and by the people (Boritt, 2006). It is undoubtedly one of the oldest forms of governance with its inception at around 5th century BC in Greece. Other countries have since copied this form of government, although debate still remains as to what exactly is the meaning of a democratic government or how it should be implemented. This paper seeks to discuss how Plato’s theory of deliberative democracy influenced contemporary theories of democracy.
Deliberative democracy involves negotiation which is critical in the decision-making process. Its distinguishable from mass democracy based on its deliberation process which has largely influenced modern-day democracy. According to Plato, deliberation is a face to face dialogue which initiates reasoning giving rise to epistemic outcomes (Chambers, 329). Plato embraces the idea of informal public dialogues but rejects the mass public sphere of the orator and this dynamic can now be seen in the development of deliberative democracy (Chambers, 329).
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Additionally, deliberative democracy has become institutional in today’s world. This new institutional turn has brought about the idea of mini-publics where citizens decide on public policy and deliberative opinions are shared. These forums are meant to promote dialogue as opposed to monologue and leads to good results, for instance, participants are able to take into account other people’s interests (Chambers, 330). Today, deliberative democracy seeks other ways to supplement mass democracy and fails to pay attention to referendums and campaigns. Instead, it concentrates on citizen assemblies and juries. Deliberative theorists fail to see referendums as deliberative yet in the real sense, they can be deliberative. The citizens' Assemblies, for example, meet high standards of deliberation when making decisions.
Conclusion
The concept of democracy will continue being applied worldwide due to its inclusive nature and representation of the will of the people. The debate will, however, continue, as to how democracy should be implemented, and democratic theorists such as Plato have given their ideal contribution. His concept of deliberative democracy has been significant and continues to influence modern-day democratic processes.
References
Boritt, G. (2006). The Gettysburg gospel . New York: Simon and Schuster.
Chambers, S. (2009). Rhetoric and the Public Sphere Has Deliberative Democracy Abandoned Mass Democracy? Political Theory , 37 (10.1177/0090591709332336).
