Why do we obey and is democracy a good idea?

In this lecture we will interrogate the key questions of obedience and democracy. What are the basic premises and assumptions upon which the ideal political order of the modern liberal state rest? How are notions of obedience to laws, norms, orders, etc. connected to ideas about authority, power, sovereignty, legitimacy, and citizenship? If, for instance, we view power as productive of our seemingly free choices and indeed of ourselves as (law abiding?) citizens, is liberal democracy a good idea? If not, what forms of political order might be better, and according to what parameters of judgement?

Teachers: Maria Stern

IR1122 HT 2022 Why do we obey and is democarcy a good thing Final.pdf

Obligatory Reading:

Edkins, Jenny. 2019. ‘Why do we Obey?’ (Chapter 7), in Global Politics : A New Introduction, edited by Jenny Edkins and Maja Zehfus. pp: 124-143.

Taylor, Lucy. 2019. ‘Is democaracy a good idea?’ (Chapter 14), in Global Politics : A New Introduction, edited by Jenny Edkins and Maja Zehfus. pp: 275-297.

Suggested sources:

Note: See sources under seminar module: Quantifying (non-)democratic governance!

and at our own Blogal Studies! (https://www.blogalstudies.com/2-populism)!

Books/articles:

Arendt, Hannah. 1970. On Violence. Harcourt Brace Javanovich

Arendt, Hannah. 1977. Eichmann in Jerusalem. New York: Viking Penguin.

Dahl, Robert. 1991. Democracy and its Critics. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral Study of obedience. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371–378. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0040525

Mouffe, Chatalle. 2000. The Democratic Paradox. New York: Verso

Hatzfield, Jean. 2006. Machete Season. Picador.

Film/Documentary/video:

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/style/2021/01/20/amanda-gorman-youth-poet-laureate-full-poem-biden-capitol-inauguration-vpx.cnn

https://www.svtplay.se/video/32823051/stormningen-av-kapitolium

Conspiracy. 2001. Written by Loring Mandel; Directed by Frank Pierson. BBC/HBO.

Hotel Rwanda. 2004. Written by George and Kier Pearson. Directed by Terri George. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26875506