Abstract

Ian Shapiro’s The Moral Foundations of Democracy explores the moral foundations of political legitimacy in utilitarianism, Marxism, and social contract theory. Each of these traditions, he contends, has made decisive contributions to the advancement of democracy precisely because it has been shaped by the moral and political advancements introduced by the Enlightenment. The latter, Shapiro argues, made the decisive moves forward by demanding that the social order be based on scientific reasoning and that human freedom be respected, issuing in a legal doctrine of individual rights.