Re-imagining democracy in the age of revolutions : America, France, Britain, Ireland 1750-1850 /
Re-imagining Democracy in the Age of Revolutions charts a transformation in the way people thought about democracy in the North Atlantic region in the years between the American Revolution and the revolutions of 1848. In the mid-eighteenth century, 'democracy' was a word known only to the...
| Other Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford :
Oxford University Press,
2013
Oxford : 2013 |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Re-imagining Democracy in the Age of Revolutions charts a transformation in the way people thought about democracy in the North Atlantic region in the years between the American Revolution and the revolutions of 1848. In the mid-eighteenth century, 'democracy' was a word known only to the literate. It was associated primarily with the ancient world, and had negative connotations: democracies were conceived to be unstable, warlike, and prone to mutate into despotisms. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the word had passed into general use, although it was still not necessarily an approving term. In fact, there was much debate about whether democracy could achieve robust institutional form in advanced societies. In this volume, a cast of internationally-renowned contributors shows how common trends developed throughout the United States, France, Britain, and Ireland, particularly focussing on the era of the American, French, and subsequent European revolutions. Re-imagining Democracy in the Age of Revolutions argues that 'modern democracy' was not invented in one place and then diffused elsewhere, but instead was the subject of parallel re-imaginings, as ancient ideas and examples were selectively invoked and reworked for modem use. The contributions significantly enhance our understanding of the diversity and complexity of our democratic inheritance. Book jacket Shows how the development of 'modern democracy' was the result of common trends developing throughout the United States, France, Britain, and Ireland, forming the subject of parallel re-imaginings rather than the invention of one place that diffused elsewhere |
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| Physical Description: | x, 240 p. ; 24 cm x, 240 pages ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (p. [213]-226) and index Includes bibliographical references and index |
| ISBN: | 0199669155 9780199669158 |