FSS:POL604 Liberal Democracy in Crisis - Informace o předmětu

POL604 Liberal Democracy in Times of Crisis

Rozsah

1/1/0. 6 kr. Ukončení: zk.

Vyučující

Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Baroš, Ph.D. (přednášející)
doc. Mgr. Pavel Dufek, Ph.D. (přednášející)

Garance

prof. PhDr. Stanislav Balík, Ph.D.
Katedra politologie – Fakulta sociálních studií
Kontaktní osoba: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Dodavatelské pracoviště: Oddělení politologie – Katedra politologie – Fakulta sociálních studií

Rozvrh

Út 14:00–15:40 U41

Předpoklady

Ability to read scholarly text in English; willingness to participate in in-class discussions.

Omezení zápisu do předmětu

Předmět je určen pouze studentům mateřských oborů.

Mateřské obory/plány

• Politologie (program FSS, N-PL)

Cíle předmětu

We now regularly hear voices claiming that liberal democracy is in deep crisis. To be sure, dissatisfaction with various aspects of the liberal democratic polity has been present in political theory for decades, and more recent doubts about the state of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe represent but one offshoot. According to some, if there is a single term that captures the present situation in the Czech Republic as well as other CEE countries, it is political and constitutional crisis rather than consolidation. What is unique about the contemporary intellectual milieu, however, is the ever growing uneasiness with liberal democracy as such, encompassing both its conceptual background and its institutional embodiments. The course aims at deeper understanding of the roots of the present crisis of liberal democracy through the lens of political-philosophical reflection. Critical diagnosis of the theoretical, conceptual and normative pillars of liberal democracy will lead to a more robust rethinking and justification of liberal democratic rule. The course is divided into five interrelated parts: (1) methodological issues in democratic theory, (2) tension between democracy and constitutionalism, (3) political representation and the majority principle, (4) dignity, pluralism, and public Justification and finally (5) heterodox critics of constitutional democracy drawing from Tocquevillian and radical tradition.

Výstupy z učení

Upon completing this course, students will be able to understand the current discussion in political theory about the crisis of liberal democracy. They will be able to analyse crucial theoretical concepts (realism, moralism, democracy, constitutionalism, majority rule, representation, dignity) connected with the contemporary discussions. Moreover, students will be able to critically evaluate disagreements in political philosophy and constitutional theory concerning issues such as legitimacy of legal constitutionalism or alternative conceptions of political representation. At the end of this course, students shall be able to orient themselves in debates surrounding crisis of liberal democracies, having acquired a philosophically non-naïve perspective.

Osnova

• 1. Introductory session. Course mission, organization and essentials (September 18)
• 2. Liberal Democracy in Crisis? (September 25, PD)
• A. Methodological Issues
• 3. Happy pluralism in Democratic Theory? Democracy as an Indeterminate Concept (October 2, PD)
• B. Democracy and Constitutionalism
• 4. Constitutionalism: Legal, Political and Democratic (October 9, JB)
• 5. Discussion session I: Is Legal Constitutionalism the Source of Crisis in Central Europe? Paul Blokker in Focus (October 16, JB)
• C. Political Representation and the Majority Principle
• 6. Political Representation and the Quest for Democratic Innovations (October 23, PD)
• 7. The Majority Principle in Democracy: Essential or Oppressive? (October 30, PD)
• D. Dignity, Pluralism, and Public Justification
• 8. Dignity v. Liberty. On Liberal and Dignitarian Traditions of Constitutional Law (November 6, JB)
• 9. Public Reason and Public Justification: What it means to respect others (November 13, PD)
• 10. Discussion session II: Constructivist approach to political representation as a way of overcoming democratic deficits? (November 20, PD)
• E. Altenative Voices
• 11. Against Public Reason: Liberalism and Its Critics (November 27, JB)
• 12. Corporate Capitalism and Modern Democracy. Sheldon Wolin’s Political Theory (December 4, JB)
• 13. Tocqueville for Today (December 11, JB)

Literatura

povinná literatura
• Eberle, Edward J. 2002. Dignity and Liberty. Constitutional Visions in Germany and the United States . New York: Praeger, 41 – 57.
• Buchstein, Hubertus and Dirk Jörke ( 2007 ) : “Redescribing Democracy”. Redescriptions 11: 178 – 200.
• Gaus, Gerald (1996). Justificatory Liberalism: An Essay on Epistemology and Political Theory . Oxford: Oxford UP, pp. 237 – 245.
• Merkel, Wolfgang (2014). “Is There a Crisis of Democracy?” Democratic Theory 1(2): 11 – 25.
• della Porta, Donatella (2013): Can Democracy Be Saved? Participation, Deliberation and Social Movements . Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 1 – 11.
• Gaus, Gerald (2007) . “On Justifying the Moral Rights of the Moderns. A Case of Old Wine in New Bottles” Social Philosophy and Policy 25(1): 84 – 119.
• Lord, Christopher and Johannes Pollak (2013). “ The Pitfalls of Representation as Claims - Making in the European Union.” Journal of European Integration 35(5): 517 – 530.
• Risse, Mathias (2009): “ On the Philosophy of Group Decision Methods I: The Nonobviousness of Majority Rule” Philosophy Compass 4(5): 793 – 802.
• Beerbohm, Eric (2011): “Democracy as an Inflationary Concept”. Representation 47(1): 19 – 28.
• Colón - Rios, Joel 2012. Weak Constitutionalism . London: Routledge, 17 – 34.
• Grant, George 1969. Technology and Empire . Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 15 – 40.
• BLOKKER, Paul. New democracies in crisis? : a comparative constitutional study of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. First published. London: Routledge, 2014, xiii, 200. ISBN 9781138956414. info
• LISTER, Andrew. Public reason and political community. First published. London: Bloomsbury Academic, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2013, 235 stran. ISBN 9781350005389. info
• MAIR, Peter. Ruling the void : the hollowing of western democracy. 1st pub. New York: Verso, 2013, xviii, 174. ISBN 9781781680995. info
• Understanding human dignity. Edited by Christopher McCrudden. 1st ed. Oxford: Published for The British Academy by Oxford University Press, 2013, xxxvii, 74. ISBN 9780197265642. info
• BILAKOVICS, Steven. Democracy without politics. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard university press, 2012, 303 stran. ISBN 9780674058224. info
• SAWARD, Michael. The representative claim. 1st publ. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010, x, 206. ISBN 9780199579389. info
• WOLIN, Sheldon S. Politics and vision : continuity and innovation in Western political thought. Expanded ed. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2004, xxiv, 761. ISBN 0691126275. info
• TULLY, James. Strange multiplicity : constitutionalism in an age of diversity. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995, xvi, 253. ISBN 0521476941. URL info

doporučená literatura
• KASS, Leon. Life, liberty and the defense of dignity : the challenge for bioethics. 1st ed. San Francisco: Encounter Books, 2002, 313 s. ISBN 1893554554. info

neurčeno
• Foa, Roberto S. and Yascha Mounk (2017). “The Signs of Deconsolidation.” Journal of Democracy 28(1): 5–15 (11 pages)
• George, R. P., Wolfe, C. (eds.) 2000. Natural Law and Public Reason. Washington: Georgetown UP
• Foa, Roberto S. and Yascha Mounk (2017). “The Signs of Deconsolidation.” Journal of Democracy 28(1): 5–15 (11 pages)
• WOLTERSTORFF, Nicholas. Understanding liberal democracy : essays in political philosophy. Edited by Terence Cuneo. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012, xii, 385. ISBN 9780199558957. info

Výukové metody

lectures
in-class discussions
debate contests
reading and analysis of texts (position papers, final paper)

Metody hodnocení

(1) Participation in two discussion sessions. The first will deal with the legitimacy of constitutional review, the second will focus on alternative cocneptions of political representation in democracy. In each discussion students will create three groups: the first one will have to answer the question positively, the second one, their opponents, negatively, and the third group will serve as referees. Students will enroll into the groups during the third lesson.

The participation in a discussion is mandatory, it is one of the conditions to able to pass the final test. The winning party will receive two points, the points received by losing party and referees will depend on the quality of their argumentation.
For more detailed information please concult the course syllabus in the course folder within the Information system.

(2) Position papers (0–4 points each). Based on the readings, students are required to write at least three short position papers (300-600 words each). If there are two or more required readings, students should briefly summarise all of them and then proceed to discuss, criticize etc. selected issue(s) (depending on one’s preferences). Based on this preparation, students are thus encouraged to actively participate in the seminars. Position papers should be uploaded no later than Monday morning, 10 a.m., to the Homework Vaults” (Odevzdávárna) folder.

(3) Final paper (max. 15 points) which should be written to the course relevant topic (length approximately 10 pages). The topic should be consulted with one of the lecturers during their office hours. Components of evaluation: original authors approach, relevant goals and methods, theoretical background, conceptualizing of the topic, structure, sources and literature.
Deadline for submission: December 19, 2016; paper should be uploaded to the “Homework Vaults” (Odevzdávárna) folder in the Information system.

(4) Final written exam (max. 25 points): There will be a final in-class written exam, consisting of five questions based on required readings and discussions in classes.

Grading: A 40–37; B 36–33 C 32–30 D 29–26 E 25–23 F 22 and less. As a bonus, students can earn up to 4 points for winning two debates.

Vyučovací jazyk

Angličtina

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