Toward a Niebuhrian Ethics of Democracy

This article proposes certain elements of an ethics of democracy based on the writings of Reinhold Niebuhr. It contends that Niebuhr's concept of democracy must be interpreted in light of his anthropology, and argues that his anthropology provides a broader and more suggestive basis for a conte...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Shingleton, Bradley (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2023
In: Theology today
Year: 2023, Volume: 80, Issue: 3, Pages: 273-284
IxTheo Classification:CG Christianity and Politics
KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history
NBE Anthropology
NCC Social ethics
NCD Political ethics
Further subjects:B Theology
B Ethics
B Political Philosophy
B Democracy
B Reinhold Niebuhr
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This article proposes certain elements of an ethics of democracy based on the writings of Reinhold Niebuhr. It contends that Niebuhr's concept of democracy must be interpreted in light of his anthropology, and argues that his anthropology provides a broader and more suggestive basis for a contemporary democratic ethics than do his mid-century writings on democracy. The article identifies certain values as foundational for duties of a democratic ethics. These values ground three principal duties of a democratic ethics: a duty of civility, of deliberation, and of tolerance. The duties are derived from fundamental characteristics of human selfhood as Niebuhr conceived it, but they are elaborated here in ways more adequate to the contemporary situation.
ISSN:2044-2556
Contains:Enthalten in: Theology today
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/00405736231190323