Date of Award

1-1-2016

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Political Science

Content Description

1 online resource (iii, 319 pages)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Peter Breiner

Committee Members

Morton Schoolman, Torrey Shanks

Keywords

Direct Democracy, Hannah Arendt, Judgment, Jürgen Habermas, Political Theory, Republicanism, Public institutions, Political participation, Political science

Subject Categories

Philosophy | Political Science

Abstract

For Arendt, political freedom is both a spontaneous rejection of rule and the foundation of institutions. In my dissertation, I argue that both aspects are linked together by her concept of political judgment. This reading of Arendt contrasts with a strand of political theory that seems to argue that public-participatory politics, as found in revolutions, cannot be translated into lasting institutions: Wolin and Rancière argue that any attempt at establishing institutions undermines the participatory character of politics. Habermas and Pettit on the other hand argue for establishing lasting institutions, but they do so at the expense of a rich concept of participation. From an Arendtian perspective, both of these approaches understand politics as rulership.

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