POLS10003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Liberal Democracy, Cosmopolitanism, Montesquieu

• School: University of Melbourne
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLS10003
• Professor: Clayton Chin

Document Summary

Only really perfect for small states, not much economic complexity. How an individual or group stands in for others, public ethic. Idea that government fundamentally is oriented towards some kind of action toward public good. The fact that a majority are inept to participate is a problem to democracy. Is it internal or external (does society create this ignorance) Exclusion and oppression, the tyranny of majority. Populations are easily motivated to rash actions. Cultural minorities are excluded because it is majoritarian. Class doesn"t really fit into the liberal democratic model, and gender doesn"t either (discussed in a later lecture), as well as race. Trying to reconstruct the relationship between religious society and secular society. How to balance the commitment with individual rights with the central organizing state. Answer was popular sovereignty, limit government, responsive to their population. Desire to create democracy to protect freedom (liberal) Montesquieu is an important thinker (1689-1755) - how to make government compatible.