The Political Speculation in Radical Democracy
Author: Ying-wen Tsai
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
The aim of this essay is to expound the criticism of Radical Democracy againstthe postulates of Liberal Constitutionalism. Following from that, this essay contituesto interpret the main topics of Radical Democracy with articulating theargumentations the Radial Democrats elaborate for them. Concerning the theories ofRadical Democracy, this essay argues the following thesis: Radical Democracy notonly recognizes the poloms (or confliction) as the basic characteristic of democraticpolitics, but also elevate and elaborate poloms as the ontology of democracy.However, such a democratic theory is necessarily involved with the issues about theinterpretations of confliction and violence. In so far as this is concerned, this essayapprove that violence can be legitimately used for protesting the dictatorship or anydespotism, as well as for creating the liberal constitution. However, since thetheories of Radical Democracy explain away the moments of Constitutional law, theinstitutional arrangement, and the positive functions of public cultures, they areinclined to trap themselves in the romantic aesthetics of violence.