From Civic Virtue to the Informal Sphere

Abstract

Democratic governance—whether within or beyond national borders—depends not just on robust formal institutions, but also on the existence of some form of solidarity outside of them. Philosophers have developed two methodological tendencies in analyzing extra-institutional life: individualistic civic virtue approaches and more holistic informal sphere approaches. Understanding democratic solidarity in terms of civic virtue is inadequate for modern, complex societies, however. Rather than putting forward ideals of individual character, theorists should articulate principles of democratic solidarity for the informal sphere: the complex web of social relations, statuses, and interactions that emerge in everyday life.