Democracia y ciudadaníael enfoque republicano. VII Conferencia Javier Muguerza. Universidad de La Laguna

Abstract

This article defends that there is a distinctly republican approach that can provide ideas and reflections that are useful to face the contemporary crisis of democracy and citizenship. The starting point is provided by three basic concepts of the republican political theory –freedom as non-domination, self-government and equality–: the conceptions of democracy endorsed by republican authors depend to a great extent on how such concepts have been interpreted and the relative place given to them. Furthermore, the paper addresses the present debate about the neo-republican political model of democracy, as well as the republican proposals of turn towards a social democracy, linked to the socialist tradition. Finally, we stress the role that an active citizenship, endowed with civic virtue and willing to participate and deliberate, plays in the republican approach.