Mayo/abril 2014

YOUNG, Iris Marion. Inclusion and democracy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
INTRODUCTION
[pp. 1-15]

We have arrived at a paradoxical historical moment when nearly everyone favours

democracy, but apparently few believe that democratic governance can do anything.
Democratic process seems to paralyse policymaking. (p. 4) Todos a favor de
democracia, pero pocos activos en la accin poltica democrtica.
o Today the notion that, with good institutions and goodwill, citizens can
engage with one another about the problems they have in living together, and
work out policies to address those problems, most often meets with a response
of detached cynicism, Yeah, right.. (p. 4) Indiferencia y escepticismo
(cinismo?) para la accin poltica democrtica.

Se ha puesto un ejemplo de accin poltica de la ciudadana para formar una comisin

que fiscalice los abusos policiales contra civiles. En los captulos siguientes se
discutir la prctica democrtica bajo las condiciones de injusticia estructural. (p. 4)

Even the supposedly most democratic societies in the world most of the time are
largely plebescite democracies: candidates take vague stands on a few issues;
citizens endorse one or another, and then have little relation to the policy process until
the next election. (p. 5) Democracias de eleccin: no realmente democracia.

The operating conviction of this book, that democratic practice is a means promoting
justice, calls for widening and deepening democracy beyond the superficial trappings
that many societies endorse and take some steps to enact. (p. 5) La prctica de la
democracia: un modo de promover la justicia.

The normative legitimacy of a democratic decision depends on the degree to which

[/] those affected by it have been included in the decision-making processes and have
had the opportunity to influence the outcomes. (pp. 5-6) Importancia de la inclusion
democrtica.

Tres preguntas que se hace el libro:

o Cules son las normas y condiciones de una comunicacin democrtica
inclusiva bajo las circunstancias de desigualdad estructural y diferencia
cultural? (p. 6)
o Cmo es que la comunicacin y la toma de decisiones democrticas
inclusivas deberan ser teorizadas para sociedades con millones de personas?
(p. 6)
o Cul es el apropiado alcance de la poltica democrtica y cmo es que la
exclusin restringe ese alcance? (p. 6)

Mayo/abril 2014

I argue that the model of deliberative democracy implies a strong meaning of

inclusion and political equality which, when implemented, increases the likelihood
that democratic decision-making processes will promote justice. (p. 6) Democracia
deliberativa: inclusin e igualdad: justicia.
o On a deliberative understanding of democratic practice, democracy is not only
a means through which citizens can promote their interests and hold the power
of rulers in check. It is also a means of collective problem-solving which
depends for its legitimacy and wisdom on the expression and criticism of the
diverse opinions of all the members of the society. Inclusive democratic
practice is likely to promote the most just results because people aim to
persuade one another of the justice and wisdom of their claims, and are open to
having their own opinions and understandings of their interests change in the
process. (p. 6) Democracia deliberativa: no simplemente promover los
intereses de ciudadanos y fiscalizar a los representantes del poder,
adems: lidiar con problemas colectivos a partir de la expresin de la
diversidad de opiniones. Es una democracia inclusiva basada en la
participacin discursiva de los ciudadanos.

Algunas ideas de poltica democrtica la restringen a la argumentacin racional, lo que

presupone que solo cierto tipo de opiniones son vlidas. Se implica cierta exclusin.
Hay que considerar otras formas de comunicacin.
o Otra asuncin es que la discusin democrtica debe dirigirse al bien comn o
al inters comn. Esto lleva a pensar que la democracia es una de dos cosas: o
una competencia entre intereses privados o la renuncia del inters privado para
el bien compartido. Se propone algo diferente: Democratic discussion and
decision-making is better theorized as a process in which differentiated social
groups should attend to the particular situation of others and be willing to work
out just solutions to their conflicts and collective problems from across their
situated positions. (p. 7) Es decir, la discusin democrtica es un proceso
de encuentro entre diferencias, no de necesaria competencia o renuncia a
lo particular.
o Se debe superar la idea de que las diferencias se encuentran entre s a partir de
identidades de grupo. Ms bien, la mayora de grupos estn formados por
asociaciones en diferencia.

socially situated interests, proposals, claims, and expressions of experience are often
an important resource for democratic discussion and decision-making. Such situated
knowledges can both pluralize and relativize hegemonic discourses, and offer
otherwise unspoken knowledge to contribute to wise decisions. (p. 7) intereses
situados, experiencia, demandas: recursos para la discusin democrtica.
Pluralizar y relativizar los discursos hegemnicos.

Es equivocado considerar que la democracia profunda es incompatible con

instituciones de representacin. On the contrary, citizens can only legitimately
authorize representatives and hold them accountable if there are many avenues and
institutions through which they engage with both each other and their representatives.

Mayo/abril 2014
Systems of representation are most inclusive, furthermore, when they encourage the
particular perspectives of relatively marginalized or disadvantaged social groups to
receive specific expression. (p. 8) la representatividad democrtica

Contrary to many today who find in civil society the primary basis for social change
to promote justice, however, I argue that those who wish to undermine injustice cannot
turn their backs on state institutions as tools for that end. (p. 8) No basta con la
accin cvica, hacen falta instituciones del estado como herramientas.

inclusive democracy refuses exclusive sovereign borders, though it recognizes the

importance of group affinities and structured differences in politics. Beyond
membership and voting rights, [/] inclusive democracy enables participation and voice
for all those affected by problems and their proposed solutions. Democratic process
cannot be centred in particular places, but rather concerns the communicative relation
of broad social sectors in the public spheres of civil society and representative bodies
whose diversity responds to the structural differentiations of the society. (pp. 9-10)

A critical theory does not derive such principles and ideals from philosophical
premises about morality, human nature, or the good life. Instead, the method of critical
theory, as I understand it, reflects on existing social relations and processes to identify
what we experience as valuable in them, but as present only intermittently, partially, or
potentially. (p, 10) No partir de generalidades conceptuales, sino de experiencias
concretas y situadas.

Young est de acuerdo con que existen ciertas prcticas de inclusin (practicas bien
intencionadas) que lo que hacen es exigir a los incluidos adaptarse a las condiciones
hegemnicas.
o Sin embargo, se argumenta que los procesos polticos de inclusin no deben
ser pensados como un modo de agrupar o envolver a sus participantes en un
discurso homogneo del bien comn (en el que se obvian las diferencias).
political inclusion specifically requires openness to a plurality of modes of
communication y inclusive political discussion should recognize and attend
to social differences in order to achieve the wisest and most just political
judgements for action (p. 12) inclusin poltica democrtica requiere:
apertura a la pluralidad de modos de comunicacin y reconocimiento de
las diferencias para apuntar a los modos ms justos de accin.
o one of the purposes of advocating inclusion is to allow transformation of the
style and terms of public debate and thereby open the possibility for significant
change in outcomes. (p. 12) un objetivo de la inclusion: transformar las
condiciones hegemnicas

The image of inclusive politics this book aims to conjure, then, is that of a
heterogeneous public engaged in transforming institutions to make them more
effective in solving shared problems justly. (p. 12) Polticas inclusivas:
manifestaciones pblicas heterogneas comprometidas con la transformacin de
instituciones para resolver ms efectiva y justamente los problemas compartidos.

Mayo/abril 2014

The concepts of exclusion and inclusion lose meaning if they are used to label all
problems of social conflict and injustice. Where the problems are racism, cultural
intolerance, economic exploitation, or a refusal to help needy people, they should be
so named. My subject in this book is political exclusion and marginalization in
particular, and I aim to theorize principles and ideals of political inclusion based on
common critical reactions to such political exclusion. (p. 13) Crtica al uso
indiscriminado de los trminos inclusin y exclusin para referirse a todo tipo de
fenmenos sociales. Aqu Young se concentrar en la exclusin poltica y la
marginalizacin.
o I focus on political processes that claim to be democratic but which some
people reasonably claim are dominated by only some of those whose interests
are affected by them. (p. 13)