3 - The Spirit of Ecological Democracy

Summary

Individualistic notions of democracy as limited to voting and personal rights have been challenged by “deliberative” or “communitarian” assertions that authentic democracy requires extensive communication within a community; and that such communication need not be limited to verbal assertion and argument. Building on that critique, this chapter proposes an “ecological democracy”—a political form rooted in communication with non–human beings that takes their needs and interests as an essential part of the political community. Objections to this concept based in a narrow sense of political communication, the postmodern notion that “nature” is a social construction, and the belief that democracy must be limited solely to humans are addressed; and necessary changes in human self-understanding and education to enable us to function in an ecological democracy are suggested.