This session explores the distinctiveness of the Bahá’í approach to democracy. It begins by reviewing arguments concerning the fragility of democracy in classical political theory and diagnoses its current plight in modern political science. Then, focusing on the Guardian’s statement that the Administrative Order “blends and harmonizes… the salutary truths” of recognized systems of government, it considers five dimensions of the Bahá’í system that stand in productive contrast with mainstream conceptions of democracy. The goal is not to merely critique these conceptions, but rather to suggest ways in which to advance our capacity to articulate a distinctive contribution to discourse.
