Elitism in Democracy
Du Bois, Nietzsche, and the Role of Elites for the Common Good
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 18934845 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stephen C W Grave (0000-0002-1026-7484, University of Missouri, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 381-397 |
| Publication date | 2021-11-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Du Bois Review Social Science Research on Race (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1742-058X • E-ISSN: 1742-0598 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1742058x21000369 |
| OpenAlex | W3212464019 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 23 |
The concept of the common good represents those resources that are good for an entire group as a whole, or what preserves what the people or inhabitants of the national community have in common. The “good” are those things that benefit the community as a whole; lead to the protection, sustainment, and improvement of the community. Theorists agree that it is the ultimate end of government; the good of all its citizens and void of special interests. Theories of the common good are discussed in this paper with implications regarding the shortcomings of democratic political institutions and structures. The theoretical framework provided by the political thought of W. E. B. Du Bois and Friedrich Nietzsche are used to critically examine the idea of the common good in contemporary democratic societies. Du Bois sought an objective truth that could dispel once and for all the irrational prejudices and ignorances that stood in the way of a just social order for African Americans. Nietzsche’s political theory was primarily concerned with disdain for democracy and the need for Aristocratic forms and social ordering. He was skeptical that with the demise of religion, it would be possible to achieve an effective normative consensus in society at large which is needed to legitimize government authority. Both theorists agree that the exceptional and great individuals are few in society and should govern in favor of the masses. Based on their example, this paper argues that both authors are suggesting an Epistocratic form of government where those with political knowledge are privileged
Common good · Demise · Democracy · Democratic ideals · Elitism · Epistemology · Good government · Law and economics · Normative · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Skepticism · Sociology · Critical Theory and Philosophy · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Law · Political Philosophy and Ethics
What Americans know about politics and why it matters
Justice as Fairness
Collective Preferences in Democratic Politics
Voting
The Common Good as Reason for Political Action
Nietzsche's Great Politics
Friedrich Nietzsche
W.E.B. Dubois
The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics
Morality and the Market in Victorian Britain
Nietzsche contra Democracy
Nietzsche's Political Skepticism
A Rational Theory of the Size of Government
The novice and the expert
The Myth of the Rational Voter
The nature of belief systems in mass publics (1964)
Dusk of Dawn. An Essay Toward an Autobiography of a Race Concept
Can Citizens Discern? Information Credibility, Political Sophistication, and the Punishment of Corruption in Brazil
Sequential Elections with Limited Information
Political Sophistication and Economic Voting in the American Electorate
Measuring Political Sophistication
Explaining political sophistication
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |