Breaking Democracy's Spell

The Henry L. Stimson Lectures Series

by John Dunn

In this timely and important work, eminent political theorist John Dunn argues that democracy is not synonymous with good government. The author explores the labyrinthine reality behind the basic concept of democracy, demonstrating how the political system that people in the West generally view as straightforward and obvious is, in fact, deeply unclear and, in many cases, dysfunctional. Consisting of four thought-provoking lectures, Dunn's book sketches the path by which democracy became the only form of government with moral legitimacy, analyzes the contradictions and pitfalls of modern American democracy, and challenges the academic world to take responsibility for giving the world a more coherent understanding of this widely misrepresented political institution. Suggesting that the supposedly ideal marriage of liberal economics with liberal democracy can neither ensure its continuance nor even address the problems of contemporary life, this courageous analysis attempts to show how we came to be so gripped by democracy's spell and why we must now learn to break it.

Genres: Politics, Political Science

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Jack Wolfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's pretty easy to be down on democracy after you watch 60 million people decide that a serial abuser will make a good president, and books with titles like "Breaking Democracy's Spell" suddenly have an appeal to me that I could once never imagine. Dunn's book is short but very, very complex. This is a book for specialists, and I'm sad to say that I'm not one: I'd say I understood half the book somewhat, and the other half not at all. Here's what I think it's about:

- "Democracy" is a term that describes many things. For some, it describes an ideology behind a government. For others, its describes a kind of government. And in America, it describes "good government." Dunn argues that this multiplicity of meaning makes it impossible to talk about democracy clearly.

- The "haze" of democratic language has made it difficult to assess whether democratic governments even work, i.e. help groups of people identify problems and come up with solutions. Dunn contends that those democratic governments we call successful-- the United States in particular-- are so mainly due to historical accidents, and not necessarily because of anything inherent in the idea of democracy.

- Dunn calls attention to several massive problems that the tools of democratic governments seem woefully insufficient to handle. He questions if the will of the people alone will able to address something as big as, say, climate change, and also whether the institutions that represent said people have ever been interested in carrying out the people's will, for good or bad.

- Dunn shows how the idea of "democracy" has clashed with the native political traditions of China and India, and poses the question of whether voting for representatives is really as empowering as the more hierarchical structures typical of these burgeoning states.

Dunn's not saying that democracy is an irredeemable failure... But he does notice that all current democratic states have failed in many ways. The book is extremely skeptical of the idea that "more democracy" can dig us out of the democratic hole. To move ahead, he asks us to consider a new vocabulary for describing successful and unsuccessful societies, one sensitive to regional differences and the economic circumstances that can lead a state into or out of fortune.

I think.

[Gulsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Latest of John Dunn. A brief statement of his most important insights on modern democracy. A must read for all those interested in the subject.

[Leif · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old style of argument, this, one that assumes a tight circle of friendly or at least similar professionals who share a language and common assumptions - while also with the gumption to tackle difficult topics with aplomb. Of the many cherished and perhaps necessary illusions, that of democracy comes here for investigation. It's not entirely successful, but Dunn is certainly, willfully, provocative.

[Annabelle]

Really hard to understand. Sadly, I was really interested by the premise.

[Илья Дескулин · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is so without content and structure that it makes you angry. I wonder how come Dunn is in the same intellectual team with fine academics like Skinner and Pocock.