Julian Nida-Rümelin
Democracy's prospects in
Germany and Europe
It is rather obvious what defines democracies with a western character: The rule of law, inalienable basic human rights and the separation of powers. Democracies are based on elected mainstream parties and sensible citizen participation. However, increasingly more people are questioning these fundamental principles. The philosopher Julian Nida-Rümelin analyses what democracy can achieve, and identifies conceptual deficits that are currently becoming threats. He not only still considers representative democracy to be an unparalleled form of government but also views it as a lifestyle: 'The democratic idealism I am advocating takes the citizens in a democracy seriously. It firmly believes that they are capable of not only identifying that which will benefit themselves but also that which will benefit the political community or, in the case of cosmopolitan practices, humankind.'
Julian Nida-Rümelin teaches philosophy and political theory at the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich. He views himself as a humanist philosopher; his main focus areas include the theory of practical reason, decision-making theory and risk ethics. From 2001 to 2002, he was Germany's second minister of state for culture and the media, taking over from Michael Naumann.
