Liberal Democracy and the Inferior 'Other'Other’: Could the peace liberal democracy promises to bring not extend to ‘Others’?


Autoria(s): Hughes, Bryn
Contribuinte(s)

A. Burguez

A. Whyatt

Data(s)

01/01/2006

Resumo

Advocates of liberal democracy argue that its principles and practices contribute directly to peace (at both inter-state and domestic levels). They rely on ideals such as the rule of law, institutional checks and balances on power, an ethos of tolerance, and free market economics to deliver the liberal peace. Liberals, however, overlook three important features embedded in the construction of liberal democracy which can serve to facilitate political violence: 1) the fixed and thus non-negotiable nature of liberal democracy’s core principles, 2) the inferior manner in which it conceives ‘Other’ social orders that do not share its core principles, and 3) the urge to proselytise Others. Together, these constitutive qualities can facilitate moves by leaders of Other groups to argue that liberal democracy threatens ‘their’ preferred identity, and thus its promised peaceful outcomes can be put in doubt.

Identificador

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:81965

Idioma(s)

eng

Publicador

School of Political Science and International Studies, UQ

Palavras-Chave #C1 #360104 Political Theory and Political Philosophy #750799 International relations not elsewhere classified
Tipo

Journal Article