Very good piece. And in the end democracy is only sustainable as a form of government if politicians - and ordinary citizens - are prepared to listen, learn from others, reflect, and improve their own thinking accordingly.
That’s a principal concern of the civic republican tradition of political thought - which is the tradition that has always spoken the most to me. Arendt - quoted in the piece - is a great modern writer in that tradition. I’d also point to Martha Nussbaum or Michael Walzer.
But the tradition seems particularly pertinent now. Our democracies need reflective participation and responsible decision-making by all citizens if they are to survive. How do we encourage that?
