Democracy needs imagination
Why does democracy feel so uninspiring today? According to philosopher Michael Ivo Räber, it’s because we’ve forgotten that democracy lives not only in laws and institutions – but in how we sense, imagine and relate to one another.
Interview: Sara Küpfer
Michael Ivo Räber, in your current research, you explore the relationship between aesthetics and democracy – how aesthetic experiences, perceptions and judgments influence democratic freedom, participation and social justice. Could you briefly outline the topic?
Michael Ivo Räber:Broadly speaking, I study how our sensory experiences – how we see, hear and feel the world – shape democratic life. This may sound abstract, but it has very real implications. For instance, who gets noticed in public space? Whose suffering is recognised and whose is ignored? The implications of these preferences are deeply political.
Would you say that democracy is rooted as much in everyday social interactions as in formal institutions?
Yes. Democracy isn’t just about institutions – voting, parliaments, the rule of law – but also a way of living. That way of life involves how we perceive and judge others. Our sensory and emotional responses condition how we understand ourselves, others and the world, and thus how we engage politically – including who we think belongs to our society. Philosopher John Dewey (1859–1952), who inspires much of my work, described democracy as a way of life. He argued that democratic principles must extend beyond institutions into schools, workplaces and families – spaces where people learn and practise these values. Vice versa, if people feel unheard or unrecognised at work, it affects their sense of self-worth and their ability to engage as democratic citizens.
Concerns about a “crisis of democracy” have become increasingly widespread. Your research suggests this crisis is not just political. Rather, you see it as a crisis of imagination – a loss of our ability to envision new ways of living and organising society within the bounds of a democratic framework...
My motivation partly comes from a frustration with how political theory often overlooks the sensory and emotional dimensions of politics. Today, media images and the “spectacle” play a huge role in shaping politics – think of Trump or other populist figures. Illiberal movements like the MAGA movement in the United States effectively use imagination and emotional appeal in ways that sideline democratic ideals. We need to understand how emotions and sensory engagement work in this context and find more democratic ways to shape them. We need to craft other versions of utopian futures rooted in democratic values.
Have democracies been underestimating the crucial role imagination plays in sustaining a political system?
People aren’t purely rational – we often act based on feelings and imagination. Illiberal forces understand this. Democracies have neglected the emotional and imaginative dimensions. They often appear abstract and disembodied. If we understand democracy only in technocratic terms, it becomes inaccessible and uninspiring. People connect with emotions, not just laws. If we ignore this, we risk losing the emotional connection people have to democratic life.
Democracies are built around abstract principles like equality, rule of law and representation. Given this emphasis on rationality and structure, is it inherently more difficult for democracies to engage people's emotions and inspire collective imagination?
In some ways, yes. But it is not impossible if we broaden our understanding of democracy as a way of life. Unfortunately, liberal democracies in the 20th century have increasingly narrowed democracy down to a series of transactions, with people asking, "What do I get out of this or that?" That discourages participation. Reinvigorating democratic imagination means re-engaging people – locally, through associations and across civil society. The notion of solidarity can serve as an emotional foundation for democratic societies – the feeling of being part of a community and being responsible for one another. Artists, intellectuals, grassroots movements and public media all have a role to play in cultivating this shared imagination and strengthening our emotional connection to democratic life. It is through these joined efforts that democracy can once again feel “real” and full of possibility.
Democracy crisis in focus
Michael Räber is a senior lecturer in practical philosophy at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Lucerne. His research explores the role of imagination, perception and experimentation in sustaining and renewing democratic life. Räber’s current project, The Power of Imagination and Experimentation in Times of Democracy in Crisis, explores today’s democratic crisis not just as a problem with political systems, but as a deeper cultural issue – one rooted in our shrinking ability to imagine and try out new ways of living. The project, which Räber anticipates will result in a couple of papers, an edited volume and ultimately a book, will offer a fresh perspective on how we might revitalise democracy – in politics, in everyday life and in the digital world.
Visit Michael Räber’s website to learn more.
