Burgermut und Burgertugend. Verantwortung und Verpflichtung in der modernen Demokratie

In: Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft: ZPol = Journal of political science, Band 10, Heft 3, S. 1015-1032

Abstract

At present, the relevance of civic virtues, responsibility, & public-mindedness is put on the agenda from different angles. Quite frequently, though, a connection with problems of institutional theory is lacking in the discussion. For this reason, the article puts forward the question of how the responsibility of citizens who find themselves in the complex institutional networks of modern democratic legal states can be described. Although a fundamental function is to relieve citizens of the burdens of individual judgment, the question arises, with regard to political as well as moral philosophy, to what extent civic responsibility can & should be delegated. The virtue of civic courage lies at the center: self-reliantly taking responsibility & publicly standing for the norms of social & political life. 57 References. Adapted from the source document.