REPUBLICAN IDEA OF FREEDOM AND SCHUMPETERIAN MODEL OF DEMOCRATIC ELITISM

Abstract

This paper examines two influential yet contrasting models of political theory—Philip Pettit’s republican conception of freedom as non-domination and Joseph Schumpeter’s model of democratic elitism—to explore their implications for understanding freedom and democratic practice in modern societies. The first section discusses Pettit’s articulation of freedom as non-domination, which extends beyond the liberal negative conception of freedom as non-interference and the populist positive conception of democratic self-rule. Pettit argues that freedom is compromised not merely by actual interference, but by the capacity for arbitrary intervention by powerful agents, thus offering a broader account grounded in relevant shared interests, vigilance against domination, and support for redistributive policies. While Pettit’s model advances a more expansive and egalitarian notion of liberty, it is critiqued for neglecting the internal, psychological barriers to freedom emphasized by theorists of positive liberty. The second section engages with Schumpeter’s redefinition of democracy in Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, where he rejects the classical participatory view of democracy and instead conceptualizes it as a competitive method for selecting political elites through elections. Schumpeter’s proceduralist and instrumental understanding of democracy, grounded in assumptions about voter ignorance, the manufacture of consent, and the necessity of bureaucratic rationalization, aligns democracy with capitalism and socialism through the shared centrality of organizational efficiency and elite leadership. The paper concludes by juxtaposing the two thinkers: whereas Pettit broadens democratic participation by foregrounding vigilance, accountability, and collective interests, Schumpeter restricts participation to electoral choice, reducing democracy to elite rule. Together, these models illuminate enduring tensions between freedom, equality, participation, and expertise in contemporary democratic theory.