Montserrat Herrero, principal investigator of the project 'Religion and Civil Society' of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), and partner Carlos Goñi have published two chapters in the book Democracy: Consensus or Conflict? Agonism and deliberative theory in contemporary politics. Professor Herrero's work is entitled 'The political power of language' and that of Carlos Goñi, 'The end of ideologies. The end of a prophecy'.

The volume is coordinated by Javier Franzé, professor at the Complutense University of Madrid. In addition to the ICS specialists, other contributors include Julián González, PhD from the Centro de programs of study Avanzados of the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina); Cecilia Lesgart, researcher at the committee Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET-Argentina) and professor at School of Political Science and International Office of the Universidad Nacional de Rosario (Argentina); José Luis López de Lizaga, professor at department of Philosophy of the University of Zaragoza; Carlos Rico Motos, researcher the high school of programs of study Advanced Social (IESA) - committee Superior Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Manuel Toscano, professor of Philosophy Moral and Politics at the University of Málaga; and Andrés Tutor de Ureta, doctor in Philosophy by the University of Castilla-La Mancha.

 

Book Abstract

Concern for the quality of democracy is growing, in a context of strong distancing between citizens and politics in general. After long years of identifying democracy with consensus, the notion that conflict is part of democratic plurality is gaining ground. The question core topic is whether a democracy is more solid and profound when it is capable of harboring great consensus or whether, on the contrary, it is so when it can sustain conflicts and accommodate radically opposing positions.

On the one hand, democracy can be seen more as a conflict, a struggle for meaning in which "the one who makes politics is not the one who plays within the rules of a system, but rather the one who kicks the board", as Ernesto Laclau argues together with thinkers such as Jacques Rancière and Chantal Mouffe. On the other hand, for authors such as Jürgen Habermas or John Rawls, the capacity to reach reasonable agreements, to achieve understanding, would be characteristic of democracy. These reflections provide some theoretical keys to analyze current issues such as depoliticization, the discussion around the Law of Historical report or constitutional reform.