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A. C. Grayling

Democracy and Its Crisis: A. C. Grayling Hardcover – 7 Sept. 2017

by A. C. Grayling (Author)

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The EU referendum in the UK and Trump’s victory in the USA sent shockwaves through our democratic systems. In Democracy and Its Crisis A. C. Grayling investigates why the institutions of representative democracy seem unable to hold up against forces they were designed to manage, and why it matters.

First he considers those moments in history when the challenges we face today were first encountered and what solutions were found. Then he lays bare the specific threats facing democracy today.

The paperback edition includes new material on the reforms that are needed to make our system truly democratic.

Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Oneworld Publications
Publication date

7 Sept. 2017
Dimensions

13.34 x 1.91 x 21.59 cm
ISBN-10

1786072890
ISBN-13

978-1786072894
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Product description

Review

‘Grayling incisively surveys attempts by Western thinkers, from Plato and Aristotle to Madison and Tocqueville, to resolve what he calls the “dilemma of democracy”: the tension between the belief that power belongs ultimately to the people, and the desire for stable and humane government.’

― Wall Street Journal

‘We are mystified, alarmed, even frightened by the cascade of events that beset our world. A. C. Grayling not only clarifies the way in which these events are challenging the workings of democracy – amid the rise in populism in response – but comes up with solutions.’

-- Jon Snow, journalist and broadcaster

‘A. C. Grayling applies his great intellectual prowess to the most pressing issue of our times – the subversion of modern democracies by dark money, corporate power, Big Data, social media and fractured political party systems. Utterly brilliant. Urgently needed. A book for NOW.’

― Helena Kennedy, QC

‘A compelling and deeply unsettling dissection of the way in which democratic principles have been subverted by vested interests in the UK and the USA. This book shows that democracy can only be defended if we first understand how it is being attacked.’

-- Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister

‘A compelling book worthy of being shelved alongside the Federalist Papers and Two Treatises of Government.’

― Kirkus

‘A concise, clear and challenging survey of the history of democracy, its recent failures and how we might repair it.’

― Shelf Awareness

From the Back Cover

Prompted by the EU referendum in the UK and the presidential election in the USA, A. C. Grayling investigates why the institutions of representative democracy seem unable to hold up against forces they were designed to manage, and why, crucially, it matters.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oneworld Publications; 1st edition (7 Sept. 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1786072890
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1786072894
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.34 x 1.91 x 21.59 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 577,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 867 in Democracy
- 4,070 in Political History
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62 ratings

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Firdaus Vogt

A good analysis of the democracy dilemma and the challenges democracy faces in the modern age

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 August 2019

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This is a good analysis of the democracy dilemma and the challenges democracy faces in the modern age. Grayling rightly sees Trump and Brexit as very evident symptoms of the erosion of our democracies, and suggests some solutions, a few of which seem a little far-fetched. Unfortunately he writes like the philosopher he is, often making simple concepts appear abstruse by the use of convoluting sentences. Nevertheless, the book does provide a much-needed overview at a time when we all seem obsessed with or plagued by the particulars to the point of foggy, befuddling nausea.

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S L Shaw

Absorbing read. Meticulously complied and argued.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 March 2018

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My worry is that Grayling sets the bar so high to meet required standards for qualifying as a genuine democracy that more will give up the unequal task en route and default to a lesser solution thereby quelling the populous and seizing control with varying methods and standards of suppression.
As he quotes, democracy is not a set of policies, it is a process for running a country; those holding power will from time to time misjudge the situation and face difficult choices on how to recover the situation.
Should usefully be read by our present political masters. The chance of them taking note and acting on the conclusions are remote.

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Helen

An excellent and disturbing read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 December 2017

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Excellent - and disturbing - read, as democracy is indeed in crisis just now due to a big rise in populism and nationalism, huge gaps between rich and poor, and so much else.

True democracy can only work if everyone in that country agrees to support it fairly. When some powerful people set out to damage it for their own purposes, it's no longer true democracy.

Interesting early chapters relating to democracy from Plato onwards.

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Rodney Jones

A clarion call that we all ignore at our peril.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 May 2018

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This should be considered required reading by all sixth form students in our schools. The tragedy of Brexit has been visited on those students by their parents and grandparents generation. They must ensure that they do not bequeath a similar legacy to their own children through ignorance of, and not participating in, the political system.

2 people found this helpful

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Michael Davidson

Excellent review of evoution of democarcy with some very pertintent ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 June 2018

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Excellent review of evoution of democarcy with some very pertintent comments on how to make it more representive today.Should send copy to Mrs May.

One person found this helpful

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i-king

Easy read on serious subject

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2018

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Enjoyed the book, it is surprisingly easy and straightforward to read. Nonetheless the author covers a lot of ground on the evolution of the current version of western [representative] democracy and IMHO offers good ideas on how those democracies have to be reformed in order to remain sustainable and survive in a longer term. Arguments are coherent, concise and well grounded in the history of the subject. Personally I share views of Jason Brennan and his “Against Democracy”, and thus in certain disagreement with A.C. Grayling who brushes aside epistocracy as a viable alternative to stale representative democracy. Worth a read.

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Glyn Adgie

Pretty good contemporary history and philosophy, but rapidly out of date

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 August 2021

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Brexit was the big thing when this book was written, but the response to the pandemic rapidly became a more pressing problem by the time I read it. Obviously, the author cannot be blamed for failing to address events that had not happened yet, but it did take the edge off the arguments a bit. On the other hand, I have philosophy/politics books written centuries ago that still seem current.

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I enjoy Professor Grayling's lectures and bought this to continue my ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 December 2017

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I enjoy Professor Grayling's lectures and bought this to continue my collection of his thinking. He examines democracy in its many forms and examines how modern technology and social media have affected this fundamental aspects of western civilisation. Well worth the read.

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