Deliberative democrats reject modus vivendi compromise as mere agreement lacking rational grounding.

Evidence

In such a view it is not enough for a democratic procedure to take account of the interests of all and to reach a compromise that will establish a modus vivendi. The aim is to generate ‘communicative power’ and this requires establishing the conditions for a freely given assent of all concerned, hence the importance of finding procedures that would guarantee moral impartiality. Only then can one be sure that the consensus that is obtained is a rational one and not a mere agreement. — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 401

Categorization

• DEFINE: Distinguishes ‘rational consensus’ from ‘mere agreement/modus vivendi’ — a core conceptual move in the deliberative tradition.