Arendtian direct democracy can itself produce majority tyranny that republicans oppose
Evidence
This point is important to stress because the term ‘republican’ has come to be associated in many circles, probably under the influence of Hannah Arendt (1958, 1973), with a communitarian and populist approach (Viroli 1992: 286-7). Such an approach represents the people in their collective presence as master and the state as servant, and suggests that the people ought to rely on state representatives and officials only where absolutely necessary: direct democracy, whether by assembly or plebiscite, is the systematically preferred option. The commonwealth or republican position, by contrast, sees the people as trustor, both individually and collectively, and sees the state as trustee: in particular, it sees the people as trusting the state to ensure a dispensation of non-arbitrary rule. For this position direct democracy may often be a very bad thing, since it may ensure the ultimate form of arbitrariness: the tyranny of a majority. — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 77
Categorization
- DEFINE: Distinguishes the republican ‘trustor-trustee’ model from the populist ‘people as master’ model of democracy.
- XREF: Relates to the reader’s solidarity research: public trust in institutions is framed as the mechanism of non-arbitrary civic life rather than direct communal self-rule. — connects to: Direct democracy can itself enable the tyranny of a majority — Philip Pettit, Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and…, 77; Pure majoritarian democracy enables the very arbitrary power republicans oppose — Philip Pettit, Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and…, 163; Republicanism distrusts the powerful, not the ordinary people, who need restraint. — Philip Pettit, Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and…, 947
Broader Connections
- Direct democracy can itself enable the tyranny of a majority
#corroborates(1.00) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 77 - Pure majoritarian democracy enables the very arbitrary power republicans oppose
#corroborates(0.85) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 163 - Republicanism distrusts the powerful, not the ordinary people, who need restraint.
#qualifies(0.75) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 947