The democracy reader : from classical to contemporary philosophy

Democracies give political power to the people. But why should they have a say in the operations of the state that governs them?

Are democracies preferable to other forms of polity?

Is democracy intrinsically good or does it merely serve an instrumental role?

These and other related questions are explored in this collection.

The forty readings, each accompanied by a brief overview to help guide students, include both classical and contemporary philosophical sources.