Talk show: Democracy through a new lens

Not everyone has the same ideas about - or seems to be equally happy with - the way democracy works. For many people worldwide, democracy is a recent achievement. But some are already spelling its demise. Is democracy in need of renewal? Perhaps inspiration can be found in the animal world...

In this first episode of the Science and Society talk show, three guests reflect on the functioning of democracy in different contexts:
 

• Liesbeth Sterck, Professor of ecological determinants of behaviour 
• Marcel Boogers, endowed professor of Democracy and Transition
• Jacqueline Tellinga, author and area developer

Lessons from the animal kingdom

Conventional wisdom has it that democracy began in ancient Athens, but studies of animal behaviour suggest that democratic principles aren’t unique to humans. Moreover, research disputes the popular idea that dominant, aggressive leaders rule the animal kingdom.

To illustrate this, Liesbeth Sterck takes us into the social world of apes. A world, she argues, that operates on similar democratic principles to ours. And the reason for this is simple: it helps them survive. Being part of a group, following the norms and making compromises are necessary to ward off predators or hunger. When a macaque accepts the group’s decision, for example to turn right instead of left to look for food, that is a cornerstone of democracy, argues Liesbeth.

Democracy is a peaceful way to regulate conflicts.

What is democracy really?

Views on democracy vary widely, as these interviews with Utrecht students show. One sees democracy as the wish of the majority. For the other, democracy is: ‘I ask something and it has to happen right away’, reflects Marcel Boogers. According to him, these different ideas about what democracy is or should be often lead to major disappointments and conflicts. Yet, he argues, that is exactly what democracy is all about - for both humans and animals. Democracy is a peaceful way to regulate conflicts. A way to prevent us from attacking each other.

How can we revitalise democracy?

If democracy remains the preferred form of governance, how can we renew it? Jacqueline Tellinga offers an example of participatory democracy in practice. She talks about how people in a municipality come together to decide which houses to build and where. It illustrates how a city can support self-determination at street level, and, so states Tellinga, inspire broader democratic innovations.