Democratic Theory and Education

Democracy

Democracy is a contested concept with many possible meanings. One simple and seemingly straightforward definition of democracy is that it is a form of government in which the people have power and govern for the public good. In this view, democratic government is created “by” the people, it consists “of” the people, and it governs “for” the people. From a Western perspective, democracy is usually seen as a good thing—something to strive for and achieve. Interestingly, that was not the case until late in the 19th century. Writings of the ancient Greeks indicate that democracy was seen as “rule by the people,” with the idea of “majority rule” emerging as synonymous with democracy. Neither Plato nor Aristotle saw democracy as positive. Aristotle saw “rule by the people” as rule by and for the needy. Plato thought that democracy would lead to tyranny. Also, in its origins Greek democracy meant direct rule by the people rather than the kind of representative rule that currently exists in the United States, where individuals are elected to represent the population in governing. Democratic theory distinguishes among direct rule by the people, majority rule, and representative rule.

Another perspective is that democracy is a way of life expected of its participants. Among the important qualities of democratic participation is the ability to make decisions based on valid reasoning, to be able to listen to other points of view, and to be able to argue rationally for one's own points of view. Within this perspective, the implications for education are clear. Every teacher can work toward teaching students to give reasons for beliefs, to attend to diverse views, and to argue for their own views. The educational philosopher John Dewey was a key proponent of this view.

Another aspect of democracy relevant to diversity is the concept of freedom. In order to sustain a society, freedom must be constrained and is not absolute. Some say that one person's freedom extends to where another person's freedom begins. When one person's freedom interferes with the rights of another, it has gone too far and reached its limit. But freedom should not differ based on diversity.

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