REFLECTIONS ON MODERN DEMOCRACY

ABSTRACT. The main thesis of this article is that democracy by itself is insufficient for deciding what is right versus wrong. Democracy presupposes a prior moral stance, namely, that individuals in the polity have basic rights to their lives, liberty and property. Democracy is a method for reaching decisions about public policy within the framework (legal order) in which such rights are fully respected and protected. pp. 63–95

Keywords: democracy; morality; rights; choice; public choices; freedom