Abstract

Democracy is one of the core concepts discussed in contemporary political philosophy. This article reconstructs and reflects two traditions that are under-represented in the current debate: pragmatist and radical theories of democracy. A comparison of the two traditions shows that they share a relational concept of society, including an awareness of epistemological limitations of political knowledge and a focus on experiences as a fundament of democracy. Therefore, democracy as experimental practice (Dewey) and radical social criticism (radical democrats) could be interpreted as two related narratives of democracy. The article explores common ground as well as differences between these traditions in order to illustrate in what way both could provide the current discourse on democracy with constructive impulses.