Republicanism, democracy and law: Beyond liberalism?

Abstract

The republicanism has reached, lasting recent times, an interesting and massive resurgence, evident in both political theory and in the discussion on the possible development styles that, beyond the neoliberalism, allow combining harmonious economic growth, social integration and political democracy. This article attempts a critique of contemporary republicanism, particularly of that argument, with wide coverage in current debates (Phillip Pettit), declares an alleged breach, or at least the existence of a normative discontinuity between republicanism and the traditional foundation of liberal democracy. It suggests, however, that Pettit Republicanism has one of the core normative assumptions of liberalism: trying to hold constantly contingencies of democratic politics through the legal system. This litigation of democratic politics seeks to highlight the importance of critically rethink the normative conditions of the foundations of republican democracy, presumably post-liberal, now in vogue.