Liberal-democratic institutions cannot be given a context-independent rational foundation

Evidence

According to the contextualist approach, Iiberal-democratic institutions must be seen as defining one possible political ‘language-game’ -among others. Since they do not provide the rational solution to the problem of human coexistence, it is futile to search for arguments in their favour which would not be ‘context-dependem’ in order to secure them against other political language-games. By envisaging the issue according to a Wingensteinian perspective. such an approach brings to the fore the inadequacy of all attempts to give a rational foundation to Iiberal-democratic principles by arguing that they would be chosen by rational individuals in idealized conditions like the ‘veil of ignorance’ (Rawls) or the ‘ideal speech situation’ (Haber- wlntlNsTEll, POLITICAL TNlon AID DIMOCIACY mas). — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 297

Categorization

• XREF: Directly targets Rawls’ veil of ignorance and Habermas’ ideal speech situation, both invoked in the reader’s democratic theory reading. — connects to: The universalist-contextualist dispute concerns liberal democracy’s universal validity — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 284; Democratic equality cannot exist without a correlate of inequality and exclusion — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 173; No politically neutral premises exist from which liberal democracy can be justified to all — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 300 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• No politically neutral premises exist from which liberal democracy can be justified to all #expands (0.95) — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 300
• Democratic equality cannot exist without a correlate of inequality and exclusion #complicates (0.72) — Chantal Mouffe, The Democratic Paradox, 173