A New Look at Civic Republicanism - Book Review

Civic Republicanism. Iseult Honohan. Routledge. 15.99 [pounds sterling]. 328 pages. ISBN 0-415-21211-1.

The author teaches political theory in University College Dublin and her book is one in a series on major philosophical problems. The aims of the series are to provide a fresh approach to the particular subject, to give the author's own distinctive contribution and to place both firmly in their historical contexts. Clinically written and lucidly argued Dr Honohan admirably fulfils these objectives. One wishes one had had her book when teaching a course on political philosophy, in particular on Utopianism in winch 'Civic Republicanism' is an important topic.

Any treatment of republicanism, civic or otherwise, must necessarily begin with the Graeco-Roman writers who placed public participation, civic pride and discussion at the heart of the body politic: the Greeks, after all, defined as an idiot anyone who was not an active citizen or who had no time for public affairs. Here the author gives us a clear interpretation of the central strands in civic republicanism: they are, predictably, freedom, the civic virtues, participation, the common good, and public versus private interests. In Part II she justifies treating civic virtue and participation as distinct concepts. Not all political philosophers would agree.

The first part of Dr Honohan's book explores the historical tradition in a defining way but is also critical of the value of republicanism as a continual tradition. She defines republicanism as addressing the 'problem of freedom among human beings who are necessarily interdependent' and so, the substance of republican politics is interdependence. This is hardly the type of republicanism as understood by, say, the Irish Republican Army. She is very critical of ethno-cultural nationalism as the essential basis for political community--her republicanism is a different shade of red.

From its classical antecedents in Aristotle and Cicero Dr Honohan follows the central themes of republicanism through to its burgeoning with Machiavelli and Harrington and on to the various modern responses as put forward by Rousseau, Wollstonecraft and Madison. Historically, civic republicanism would appear to have had its day with the rise of the nation state, imperialism and their later enemies, liberalism and socialism. However, its recent re-emergence as the main alternative to liberalism in confronting the political challenges presented by the pluralism and interdependence of modern societies is here examined in the works of Hannah Arendt and Charles Taylor who are given the lion's share--a full chapter--on the origins of the revival. They stress the positive values of political participation and the limits of negative freedom. The question of how free we are when the powers and extent of the modern state encroach on the very minutiae of daily existence is still debateable. The author would also argue that politics create nations not vice versa, a shared political fate, as well as argument and political practice make for interdependence and it is on such that the political community is based. This is an important and provocative perception--and the book has many of them.

In Part II the author states: 'Republicanism is a theory still under development rather than one that exists ready made for application to contemporary issues'. This reviewer, in his simplicity, thought it a pity that so many contemporary Irish echoes of her themes were relegated to the Notes as exemplars of the theories under discussion: for example, the constant obsession with political corruption exposed now in the continuing judicial tribunals; the present debates on multi-culturalism, pluralism, racism, and neutrality in increasing globalized and inter-dependent communities. These notes, where not referential, would have lightened a text that is certainly not for the feeble-minded. Though mainly intended for political science students, history, and law students, not to mention practising lawyers, political editors and media pundits on contemporary problems would benefit from this refreshing and stimulating analysis of civic republicanism.

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