An interview with Andrew Arato: Critically revisiting civil society, constituent power and constitutional democracy in populist times
Abstract
In critical theory, the work of Andrew Arato stands out not least for its in-depth and wide engagement with comparative empirical analysis. In his earlier work, in the late 1970s/early 1980s, Arato's work focused on Western Marxism, the Frankfurt School and its continuation with Jürgen Habermas, but was also immediately relating such theoretical discussions to real life events, not least those related to the 'really existing socialisms' in East-Central Europe, as with the emergence of Solidarność in the late 1970s, but equally to the processes of democratic change in Latin America.
Arato became particularly well known for this seminal contribution to the theorization of civil society with Jean Cohen in the late and early 90s, and, in more restricted scholarly circles, for his unequalled, profound insights into the 'self-limiting revolutions' and post-communist transformations in the post-communist world. His Civil society, constitution and legitimacy remains one of the most outstanding works on the complexity of transformation in post-communist Europe.
In article, we engage Andrew Arato with his various contributions to critical theory, democratic theory and analysis of constitution-making.