research-article

The concept of democracy

  • HAN Shuifa
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  • Department of Philosophy, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China

Published date: 05 Dec 2008

Copyright

2014 Higher Education Press and Brill

Abstract

The core elements of modern democracy are citizens who share equally in mutually-compatible basic rights, serve as the final decision-makers on the community’s constitution, and choose whom to be entrusted with legislative and executive powers, while at the same time wielding final veto power over the present government. The rule of the majority in modern democracy is no longer a fundamental principle, but rather a derivative principle the validity of which is based on the above-mentioned core elements.

Cite this article

HAN Shuifa . The concept of democracy[J]. Frontiers of Philosophy in China, 2008 , 3(4) : 622 -632 . DOI: 10.1007/s11466-008-0039-1

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