Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Palgrave Macmillan
Book cover

Radical Democracy and Its Limits

  • Book
  • © 2019

Overview

Authors:
  1. David Matijasevich

    1. Department of Political Science, Capilano University, North Vancouver, Canada

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Subjects the theory of radical democracy (sometimes known as agonistic pluralism) to an empirical test of its viability

  • Fills a gap in existing literature on the analysis of radical democracy's real-world manifestations rather than its theoretical weaknesses

  • Considers 4 historical case studies: Croatia 1990-1995, Thailand 2005-2014, Singapore 1945-1970 and France 1968

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-x
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Radical Democracy and Its Antagonism Problem

    • David Matijasevich
    Pages 1-28

  3. Thought and Action: The Theoretical Bases of Radical Democratic Agonism

    • David Matijasevich
    Pages 29-56

  4. From Protest to War: Agonism and Antagonism in HDZ Croatia

    • David Matijasevich
    Pages 57-84

  5. Red vs. Yellow: Organic Crisis and the Radical Democratic Politics of Thailand

    • David Matijasevich
    Pages 85-123

  6. Radically Open to Radically Closed: The End of Agonism in Post-Colonial Singapore

    • David Matijasevich
    Pages 125-169

  7. Towards Revolution or Reform? Radical Democratic Impasse in France’s May 68

    • David Matijasevich
    Pages 171-216

  8. Cross-Case Comparison: Scenarios and Circumstances of Radical Democratic Politics

    • David Matijasevich
    Pages 217-242

  9. Five Problems for Radical Democratic Theory

    • David Matijasevich
    Pages 243-278

  10. The Future of Radical Democracy

    • David Matijasevich
    Pages 279-300

  11. Back Matter

    Pages 301-308
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

Over the last several decades, many political theorists have touted the banner of “radical democracy” to view the agonistic—that is, non-coercive—struggle against power as the correct way forward for progressive political actors, rather than the antagonistic acquisition or use of it. The belief that such engagements respect the political equality of all and are thus more democratic lies at the heart of this trend; and yet, recent developments have shown that events with such agonistic beginnings, such as Occupy, the Arab Spring, and Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement have the clear potential of ending antagonistically. Comparing four historical cases of popular uprising that fluctuated between agonistic and antagonistic moments, this book establishes the circumstances under which such agonistic engagements with power can both take off and persist. Revealing the many limitations that agonistic politics is shown to face, Radical Democracy and its Limits makes a needed intervention into contemporary democratic theory and argues that radical democracy should not be held up as a model for those pursuing a more egalitarian future. 


Reviews

“Radical Democracy and Its Limits offers an original insight into the workings of agonistic politics. Underpinned by a rigorous historical and sociological methodology, Matijasevich’s book sheds new light on the radical democratic/agonistic pluralist commentators—Mouffe, Connolly, Honig and Rancière—it addresses.” (Adrian Little, Professor, Political Theory, The University of Melbourne, Australia )

“Ambitious yet accessibly written, this book is a novel and much-needed intervention that offers a carefully elaborated argument on the empirical viability of the radical democratic framework.” (Katarzyna Jezierska, Lecturer, Department of Law, Economics, Statistics, and Politics, University College West, Sweden)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Political Science, Capilano University, North Vancouver, Canada

    David Matijasevich

About the author

David Matijasevich is Instructor in the Department of Political Science at Simon Fraser University, Canada. He received his PhD in Political Science from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada in 2015. His interests lie at the crossroads of comparative politics and political theory, particularly contemporary democratic theory and practice and state-civil society relations.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Radical Democracy and Its Limits

  • Authors: David Matijasevich

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23014-2

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-23013-5Published: 06 September 2019

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-23016-6Published: 06 September 2020

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-23014-2Published: 26 August 2019

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: X, 308

  • Topics: Political Philosophy, Political Theory, Democracy

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation