ABSTRACT
In “Liberal Autonomy and Global Democracy” (in this volume), Anthony J. Langlois takes up the important question of which norms can provide an adequate basis for universal human rights and undergird increasingly global forms of democracy. He specifically argues against the account I have given of what I call concrete universality in my book Globalizing Democracy and Human Rights (Gould 2004, especially Chapter 2). Langlois favors a reliance on “liberal autonomy” as the indispensable normative basis for criticizing cultural practices and modes of social and political organization that violate human rights, as well as for constructing a positive account of new transnational institutions of democracy. I am pleased to have this opportunity to respond to his insightful and interesting discussion of my work. Through this process, I hope also to clarify and further develop my views on these philosophically diffi cult topics.
