Democracy and Its Crisis

‘Grayling incisively surveys attempts by Western thinkers, from Plato and Aristotle to Madison and Tocqueville, to resolve what he calls the “dilemma of democracy”: the tension between the belief that power belongs ultimately to the people, and the desire for stable and humane government.’

‘We are mystified, alarmed, even frightened by the cascade of events that beset our world. A. C. Grayling not only clarifies the way in which these events are challenging the workings of democracy – amid the rise in populism in response – but comes up with solutions.’

‘A. C. Grayling applies his great intellectual prowess to the most pressing issue of our times – the subversion of modern democracies by dark money, corporate power, Big Data, social media and fractured political party systems. Utterly brilliant. Urgently needed. A book for NOW.’

‘A compelling and deeply unsettling dissection of the way in which democratic principles have been subverted by vested interests in the UK and the USA. This book shows that democracy can only be defended if we first understand how it is being attacked.’

‘A compelling book worthy of being shelved alongside the Federalist Papers and Two Treatises of Government.’

‘A concise, clear and challenging survey of the history of democracy, its recent failures and how we might repair it.’

A. C. Grayling is Professor of Philosophy and Master of the New College of the Humanities, London. Among his many books are The God Argument and The Age of Genius. He has contributed regularly to The Times, the Independent, Prospect and the New European, and appears frequently on radio and TV, including Newsnight and CNN News.