Democracy as Collective Self - Rule Avihay Dorfman The essay explores two key questions about the idea of democracy : what democracy is and what can justify the democratic form of government . Concerning the former , it argues that the idea of democracy is , in its essence , a special form of mutual recognition of each person ’ s status as an agent fully entitled to participate in the relevant decision - making processes . Concerning the latter , it maintains that democracy derives its authority from the idea of collective self - rule . An important implication of this view of democracy is that the connection between a democratic regime and a commitment to basic rights is essential : the latter is intrinsic to any truly democratic regime . The essay also addresses the specific case of Israeli democracy and identifies two critical challenges that it faces : the problems of the permanent minority and of military rule . The first of these affects the ability of members of the permanent mi...
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