Democratic equality and respect

Abstract

The article seeks to show that the liberal idea of securing an equal liberty for all must be reexamined in the two sets of discussions around the sought-for balance between liberty and equality, so as to avoid the separation both of liberty and equality and of the domains opposing formal and substantive claims. These must be rather regarded in their correlated conditions, required for an effective, democratic exercise of citizens’ private and public autonomy, as Habermas suggested. The article shows that the question of equality of condition cannot avoid the difficult questions raised in the so-called “difference” debate and attempts to go “beyond equality and difference” or to “reconstruct” an ideal of equal citizenship in a democracy must address considerations raised in the discussions concerning equality of condition and respect. KEY WORDS – Democracy. Equality. Habermas Liberty. Respect.