| Description |
In this dissertation, I argue that democracy is a human right. In order to support this claim, my argument will proceed from a foundational moral grounding (Indirect Utilitarianism), through analyses of the concepts involved (human rights and democracy), to my conclusion. I begin by specifying the definition of democracy I find superior; proceed to an explication of the normative theory to which I appeal for my claims; then to a discussion of the justification of rights in general; followed by a discussion of human rights, and finally to my case for the human right to democracy. I follow this with a survey of the literature representing the opposing position, in order to catalogue the concerns my positive account will need to address. I then proceed to my own justificatory account. Having presented my positive account, I address the various criticisms of the minority position, using arguments that either blunt such criticism or demonstrate how the criticisms do not address my own position. |
