Passions and Constraint
Author: Stephen Holmes
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 1995-06
Total Pages: 360
ISBN-13: 9780226349688
DOWNLOAD EBOOKHolmes argues that the aspirations of liberal democracy - including individual liberty, the equal dignity of citizens, and a tolerance for diversity - are best understood in relation to two central themes of classical liberal theory: the psychological motivations of individuals and the necessary constraints on individual passions provided by robust institutions. Paradoxically, Holmes argues, such institutional restraints serve to enable, rather than limit or dilute, effective democracy.