Rethinking Democracy: Freedom and Social Cooperation in Politics, Economy, and Society

This important book offers a fundamental reconsideration of the theory of democracy, arguing that democratic decision making should apply not only to politics but also to economic and social life. Professor Gould redefines traditional concepts of freedom and social equality, and proposes a principle of Equal Positive Freedom in which individual freedom and social cooperation are seen to be compatible. Reformulating basic conceptions of property, authority, economic justice and human rights, the author suggests a number of ways in which these principles could be realized in social institutions. She also discusses such issues as democratic control of technology, the nature of democratic personality, and the question of democracy in international relations.