The Absent People The Symbolic Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Absent People The Symbolic Republic - Essay Example By doing this, we will not only be able to understand about what the primary purpose was of Rosanvallon's writing this book, but as well how Rosanvallon himself thinks and what his major goals are. This is what will be dissertated in the following. One of the most major issues that is discussed in this book is that of the matter of repoliticizing democracy, and in the beginning of this discussion, Rosanvallon makes it very clear that he has an approach which "forces the stress to fall on the paradox that the growth of social power, in essentially negative modes, has come linked to forms of the hollowing of the political. The response to undertake, on the basis of the foregoing understanding, has two components: the institutionalization and rationalization of the forms of indirect democracy on the one hand and its politicization on the other" (Rosanvallon, 2006). These two components are incredibly important to take into consideration and in order to take them properly into consideration, we need to compare them with that of other work, such as for instance that of John J. Davenport, who too specializes in the same area as Rosanvallon, and in Davenport's opinion, he rather negatively criticizes that of the institutionalization and rationalization of the forms of indirect democracy, as he points out that there are many flaws that occur within this. As well, he makes statements that moralize around the opinion that the theory of socialization has a lot to do with this matter, and he argues that it is yet not included enough. While someone like Davenport believes that there would be much that would be needed to be done in order to even come to a remote form of civilization in regards to the matter of institutionalization and rationalization of the forms of indirect democracy, Rosanvallon on the other hand, believes that this component is actually the easiest to grasp out of the two, and that it would actually not take all that much to make some sort of a contribution or a change in regards to this matter. With the second component of democratic progress, which Rosanvallon - and many others - believe should be put into action, which is that of the politicization of indirect democracy, he believes that this co mponent is actually the most difficult out of the two given, and as well that it is the most important. Rosanvallon makes it very clear throughout this particular work of his that he believes that there is an incredibly large range of practical works of resymbolization, and as well of the production of generality. He states that "Against exceptionalist conceptions of the political, the return of the political would have to be understood as proceeding from an ensemble of actions and discourses for producing commonality and making the system of social interactions both more legible and more visible. Giving meaning back to politics, then, cannot take place in the first instance through the