https://theloop.ecpr.eu/minben-as-an-alternative-to-liberal-democracy/
Rongxin Li, a scholar of democracy trained between Beijing and Paris, rightly argues that the word "democracy" is "unconsciously linked to 'the West'."
This point has been demonstrated by historians of the word, like John Keane, Benjamin Isakhan, and Kathleen McCrudden-Illert, who show that the "standard" or "official" or "male" narrative of democracy is incredibly biased, full of holes, and generally founded on dubious claims of cultural manifestation and imperial lineages.
Li's point is about how the word is understood today. Once evoked, the signifier tends to point to the following signifiers:
- Abraham Lincoln (supporter of colonialism in 19th C 'USA', mass executioner of Indigenous people)
- Magna Carta (aristocrats further empowering themselves in medieval imperial England)
- French Revolution (a time of terror and murder)
- American Revolution (establishment of a parasitic federation of colonies which murdered Indigenous and Black peoples, virtually enslaved Central and East Asian immigrants, etc, to establish itself)
- Voting (typically a majoritarian process that can, in FPTP systems, lead to minorities deciding for the majority)
etc., etc.,
I've, of course, taken a baldly critical view here of the aforementioned points in an attempt to join hands with John Dunn and "break democracy's spell".
Li argues that we need to be aware of the shortcomings of what we signify when we utter, read, or think the word "democracy" and to be more sensitive to the other words in the world - especially in other languages - and what they, in turn, signify.
We are literally surrounded by thousands of years of cultural resources which do, once put to analysis, show themselves to be against tyranny, against paternalism, for peace, for equality, for popular control of power, and so forth.
Now it's over to you: what do you think the word "democracy" should be unconsciously linked to? And why would that be preferable to 'the West'?
https://theloop.ecpr.eu/minben-as-an-alternative-to-liberal-democracy/
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Social Science
- Media
- Journalism