Product Description

Deeply understood, democracy is more than a "formal" institutional framework for which America provides the model, acting as a preferable alternative to the modern totalitarian regimes that have distorted social life around the world. At its core, as John Dewey understood, democracy is a realistic ideal, a desired and desirable future possibility that is yet-to-be. In this period of global crises in differing cultures, a shared environment, and an increasingly globalized political economy, this book provides a clear contemporary articulation of "deep democracy" that can guide an evolutionary deepening of democratic institutions, of habits of the heart, and of the processes of education and social inquiry that support them.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #581162 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

About the Author
Judith M. Green is associate professor of philosophy at Fordham University.

Customer Reviews

Wow
The book is a plea for a more inclusive democracy. Drawing on the tradition of Dewey, it offers a great vision of community and what we can do to attain it. Sometimes, the passion overwhelms the logic, but this is an exciting read.

More Than Voting
Judith Green's book asks us to engage in what may be called a somewhat anti-Humean enterprise -- that is, to push-out rather than accept the assumed limits of our characters/human natures in order to engage in the kinds of cooperative activities that should lead to a better world. Invoking Deweyan experimentalism and (Alain) Lockean critical relativism, Green challenge us to create democratic imaginations that "go all the way down." Going all the way down means more than simply voting when called to do so, but to effectively see oneself as a serious bearer of responsibility for expanding the circles of community. Her notion of deep democracy is, therefore, quite Emersonian.

Although Deep Democracy is clearly written by someone grounded in philosophy and the realm of ideas, Green is not lost in mere theory. She brings to her analysis concrete empirical examples of the kind of experimentalism she advocates. One such example is the work of the Grameen Bank, which actively provides micro-loans to poor entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. She applauds the kind of risk-taking experimentalism that is evidenced by the bank's work, against critics who were pointing out that the frequency of loan repayment would be low (as it turns out, loan repayment is higher than in many First World contexts).

Deep Democracy is a challenge to our political imaginations. Having said that, what I would like to see in a future work by Green is more empirical analysis to support her lines of moral and political reasoning. For the work of philosophers must ultimately be joined to policy, as the work of policy is ultimately to establish health, security and freedom.

Deep Democracy in Daily Life: Quantum Democracy
Dr. Green does an excellent scholarly job of reviewing the philosophy of democracy. I'd recommend instead that readers consider Mindell's "The Leader as Martial Artist: An Introduction to Deep Democracy," which picks up where Green leaves off, furthers the theoretical basis for deep democracy, and provides practical tools for developing deep democracy in community, in relationship, as well as in inner-work.