What does equality demands of us?

essay about the democratic responsabilities

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/2525-8036.2024.54252

Keywords:

Equality, Democracy, Responsability, Political legitimacy

Abstract

The aim of this work is to discuss the responsibilities of citizens and authorities in democracy through the questions: “Do all have mutual obligations in a democratic community?” and “What do these obligations require from individuals and authorities, and what is the role of law in this?”. The justification is to find a philosophical foundation for both inter-citizen moral responsibilities and the political responsibilities of state authorities, the latter through an analysis of legitimacy. To address these questions, we follow this approach: (a) First, we analyze the concept of responsibility in its legal, moral, and political dimensions; (b) next, we discuss equality as a political and moral principle underpinning the legitimacy of the state and the obligations of citizens in a genuine democracy. Developing this second part, we explore: (b.1) the historical significance of the ideal of equality and its polysemy; (b.2) how human dignity supports the principle of equal treatment based on the intrinsic value of human life and special responsibility; (b.3) the existence of inter-citizen democratic obligations and the role of law in this. Our purpose is to understand the interconnection between equality, law, and democracy, and their implications for the democratic responsibilities of citizens and authorities, seeking conclusions that illuminate the public debate.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

  • Gabriel Rodrigues Carrijo, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU)

    Graduando em Direito pela Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Brasil. Lattes: http://lattes.cnpq.br/7654160341423334. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8629-1405. Contato: gabrielcarrijo03@gmail.com.

References

DWORKIN, Ronald. A virtude soberana: a teoria e a prática da igualdade. Trad. Jussara Simões. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2005.

DWORKIN, Ronald. Constitucionalism and Democracy. The european journal of philosophy, [s. l.], v. 3, n. 1, p. 2-11, 1995. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.14680378.1995.tb00035.x. Disponível em: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.14680378.1995.tb00035.x. Acesso em: 26 dez. 2024.

DWORKIN, Ronald. Freedom's Law: The moral reading of the american constitution. Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1996.

DWORKIN, Ronald. Is democracy possible here?: principles for a new political debate. Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2006.

DWORKIN, Ronald. Taking rights seriously. Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1997.

DWORKIN, Ronald. Uma questão de princípio. Trad. Luís Carlos Borges. 3ª. ed. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2019.

GROSS, Clarissa. Pode dizer ou não? Jeremy Waldron e Ronald Dworkin discutem (e discordam!) sobre liberdade de expressão e discurso discriminatório. In: MACEDO, Ronaldo Porto (org). Teoria do Direito Contemporânea. Curitiba: Juruá Editora, 2017, p. 489 – 524.

HART, Herbert L. A. O conceito de direito. Trad. Antônio de Oliveira Sette-Câmara. 1ª. ed. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2009.

HUNT, Lynn. A invenção dos direitos humanos: uma história. Trad. Rosaura Eichenberg. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2009.

KELSEN, Hans. Teoria pura do Direito. Trad. João Baptista Machado. 8ª. ed. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2009.

PENTEADO, Leonardo Gomes. O liberalismo igualitário de Ronald Dworkin: o caso da liberdade de expressão. Orientador: Ronaldo Porto Macedo Júnior. Dissertação (Mestrado em Direito) - Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2014, 254 f.

RAWLS, John. Uma teoria da justiça. Trad. Almiro Pisetta, Lenita M. R. Esteves. 1ª. ed. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 1997.

REIS, Luciana Silva. Responsabilidade, democracia e a igualdade: ideias para nosso tempo. BOLETIM DO IBCCRIM, v. 1, p. 27-30, 2023. Disponível em: https://publicacoes.ibccrim.org.br/index.php/boletim_1993/article/view/1576. Acesso em: 26 dez. 2024

RICOEUR, Paul. O justo 1: a justiça como regra moral e como instituição. Trad. Ivone C. Bendetti. 1ª. ed. São Paulo: WMF Martins Fontes, 2008.

SHIFFRIN, Seana Valentine. Democratic law. Nova York: Oxford University Press, 2021.

TOCQUEVILLE, Alexis de. A democracia na América. Trad. Julia da Rosa Simões. 1ª ed. Integral. São Paulo: Edipro, 2019.

WALDRON, Jeremy. Law and Disagreement. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

WALDRON, Jeremy. The core case aganist judicial review. The Yale Law Journal, [s. l.], v. 115, n. 6, p. 1346-1406, 2006. DOI https://doi.org/10.2307/20455656. Disponível em: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20455656. Acesso em: 26 dez. 2024.

Published

2024-12-26

How to Cite

CARRIJO, Gabriel Rodrigues. What does equality demands of us? essay about the democratic responsabilities. Revista de Ciências do Estado, Belo Horizonte, v. 9, n. 2, p. 1–29, 2024. DOI: 10.35699/2525-8036.2024.54252. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/revice/article/view/e54252. Acesso em: 6 dec. 2025.