Rethinking Democracy

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Democracy: in search of a theory. 3. The democratic polity: philosophical and cultural perspectives. 4. The two faces of democracy: the classes and the masses. 5. Democracy and the role of the state. 6. Rebuilding the state. 7. Democracy in India: background and emerging challenges. 8. Democracy, participation, theory and growth of the non-party political process. 9. On democracy: a critique. 10. On democracy: emancipation and democracy. 11. Conclusion: democracy under contrary pressures.

"Rethinking Democracy is an insightful and reflective monograph on democracy in general and Indian democracy in particular. In this work, Rajni Kothari revisits the core arguments he has laid down in his diverse writings in the past four decades. Kothari reflects, interrogates and even contests some of his earlier formulations on democracy, state and civil society, developing a new paradigm on the basis of his intellectual and activist experience.

Kothari makes a powerful critique of prevailing democratic theory and practice in the changing global as well as Indian context and concludes that democracy has failed to achieve its objective of human emancipation. However, this disillusionment with democracy does not deter him from searching for an alternative model for a decentralized, participatory and emancipatory democracy."