This book examines the changes and challenges to democracy particularly in contemporary Russia. In the first section, Russian and American philosophers scrutinize the virtues and vices facing a country changing to a democratic government. The book, secondly, explores the challenges facing a democratic Russia. Lastly, the book considers carefully issues of social justice arising from the relationship between democracy and the current economic climate of globalization.
CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN PHILOSOPHY (CRP) explores a variety of perspectives in and on philosophy as it is currently being practiced in Russia. Co-sponsored by the Center for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and by the Russian Philosophical Society, this special series features collaborative works between Russians and Americans, collections of essays by Russians, and monographs by Russians. All volumes are published in English.
Author(s): Tatiana Alekseeva, William Gay
Series: Value Inquiry Book Series 148
Publisher: Rodopi
Year: 2004
Language: English
Commentary: 39157
Pages: 175
Contents......Page 8
Editorial Foreword......Page 12
Preface......Page 16
1. Introduction......Page 22
2. Democracy: Virtues and Vices......Page 23
3. Challenges to Democracy in Russia......Page 24
4. Democracy and Economics......Page 25
PART ONE – DEMOCRACY: VALUES, AND VICES......Page 28
ONE – Living in the World of a "Unipolar System": Alternatives and Trends......Page 30
1. Introduction......Page 42
2. Providers and Officials......Page 44
3. The Culture of Political Corruption: Public Opinion......Page 49
4. Manipulating the Factors of Corruption: Reform Proposals......Page 51
5. Conclusion......Page 55
1. Aspects of Democracy that Can Lead to Violence......Page 58
2. The Nature of Moral Demagoguery and How It Can Lead to Violence......Page 59
3. The Way in Which Violence Needs Moral Demagoguery......Page 61
4. The Role of Moral Demagoguery In the Political Consciousness of Contemporary Russia......Page 63
1. Introduction......Page 66
2. Beyond Civic and Ethnic Nationalism......Page 67
3. The Interdictory Forms of Higher Nationalism......Page 69
4. Russia: A Mixed Case?......Page 73
5. The Paradoxes of Lower Nationalism......Page 74
PART TWO – CHALLENGES TO DEMOCRACY IN RUSSIA......Page 80
1. Social Transformations Before Perestroika......Page 82
2. Transformations During Perestroika......Page 84
3. Transformations After Perestroika......Page 88
1. Introduction......Page 94
2. The Goals and Purposes of a Democratic Society......Page 95
3. Information Theory and the Communications Structure......Page 97
4. Solutions......Page 101
SEVEN – Reflections on Some Problems in Russia's Transformation......Page 104
PART THREE – DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMICS......Page 118
1. Democracy and Meritocracy?......Page 120
2. Who Are the Elite?......Page 121
3. How Did the New Meritocracy Arise?......Page 124
4. What Can Be Done?......Page 125
NINE – Civil Society and Civil Participation......Page 128
1. Introduction: From Political to Economic Democracy......Page 142
2. The Critique of Economic Democracy and A Response......Page 143
3. Relations of Politics and Economics in Political Philosophy......Page 145
4. Beyond Post-Keynesian Economic Liberalism......Page 149
5. Conclusion: Prospects for Economic Democracy......Page 152
Bibliography......Page 158
About the Authors......Page 170
D......Page 172
J......Page 173
R......Page 174
Z......Page 175
