Past Present Future Rethinking Democracy w/ Lea Ypi
Oct 19, 2023
Lea Ypi, a political philosopher and author, joins David to discuss rethinking democracy. They explore the purpose and justification of democracy, the role of coalitions, challenges and potential for international democracy, and the role of faith in politics. This conversation sets the stage for future episodes about rethinking the ideas that made the modern world.
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Democracy As A Demanding Relational Ideal
- Lea Ypi treats democracy as a demanding ideal about how citizens relate to political authority rather than a mere survival mechanism.
- She argues real democracy requires the people to be the source of authority and for the gap between rulers and ruled to shrink over time.
Legitimacy Requires Source Of Authority
- David Runciman frames democratic legitimacy as the need for those in power to provide a justification acceptable to those governed.
- Lea insists the only acceptable justification is that the governed are the source of authority, pushing toward minimal gaps between rulers and ruled.
Representation Has Become A Broken Approximation
- Both guests critique contemporary representative democracy as often failing to close the legitimacy gap via elections and party representation.
- They say representation can approximate democracy only if parties genuinely track and channel citizens' interests, which today is widely broken.