Democracy and Human Nature

This book argues that human beings evolved as an intrinsically cooperative species and that democracy is the political expression and further development of our human nature. Grounded in critical realism, it demonstrates that sustaining democracy requires democratic institutions, democratic citizens, and democratic personalities that channel our capacities for both cooperation and conflict toward constructive conflict, mutual recognition, and mutual flourishing.Drawing from Roy Bhaskar's concepts of stratified reality and human flourishing, this book develops this argument by describing democracy as a layered system operating at three interconnected levels: the political, the social, and the psychological. It draws on political science and political philosophy to examine the democratic social contract, on social psychology and social philosophy to analyze the democratic citizen, and on psychoanalytic and developmental theory to explore the democratic personality. In doing so, it offers an integrated account of democracy that brings these disciplines into a common framework. At a time of growing polarization and authoritarianism, this book argues that democratic renewal depends not only on political institutions but also on the social relationships and psychological capacities that enable citizens to sustain a shared democratic life.It will appeal to academics and advanced students interested in critical realism, democracy, political sociology, social psychology, social philosophy, psychoanalytic theory, and developmental psychology.