Rationalität, Demokratie und Reversibilität

Democracy implies that nothing is set in stone. However, decisions with irreversible consequences can occur within the political sphere. This study examines the implications of this in terms of democracy theory from the perspective of classical pragmatism. Its analysis is centred around the relationships between rationality and reversibility as well as democracy and reversibility. Are political decisions whose consequences are reversible endowed with a higher degree of rationality and democratic quality? The author uses the findings of the analysis to sketch out some basic features of a political theory of reversibility. He then examines its applicability to political reality.