The events at the US Capitol building in January 2021 remind us that democracy must be carefully cultivated. It is easy for violence, power, and conspiracy to overwhelm our practices of civic engagement. No person or institution will by necessity always be an advocate of democracy, and the traditional hallmarks of liberty can voice authoritarian views. It is important to revisit democracy to avoid being misled.
Since democracy’s roots in ancient cultures, philosophers have both cherished and criticized it. Yet despite their differences, philosophers have always held that the best way to deal with democracy is by understanding it. The Blog of the APA feels that this is still true. As we wrestle with the legacy of the events in Washington, we invite readers to read the collection of articles on democracy contained here. They discuss democracy’s virtues, potential challenges, relationship to speech, and more.
We hope that this collection will inform the discussions about democracy that our society is currently having.
