The Conception of the People in Multilateral Democracy

Abstract

Any conception of the dêmos will necessarily be informed by a certain conception of democracy that will in turn have implications for a conception of multilateral democracy. For the argumentative purposes of this chapter, I start out with a minimal definition of the dêmos. I do not claim it is the only and most adequate definition of the term. In the chosen definition, I focus on a political notion of the dêmos and thereby exclude clubs, unions, companies et cetera. It makes sense to distinguish between the dêmos as an authoritative political body with far reaching competencies to make and impose general rules and other types of groups. Submission to the rules of clubs, unions, companies et cetera is optional. Membership and participation in those groups is thus to be considered a different normative problem.