ABSTRACT
The Task of Extending democratic institutions to the non-Western world is less straightforward than optimists had supposed in the heady days after the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union. The term “communitarian” in this dialogue refers to the idea that individuals in society generally value commitments to certain forms of community over the claims of individual freedom, with the political implication that citizens tend to support first and foremost a government that provides the social conditions that allow them to lead fulfilling communal lives. The term “communitarian” in this dialogue refers to the idea that individuals in society generally value commitments to certain forms of community over the claims of individual freedom, with the political implication that citizens tend to support first and foremost a government that provides the social conditions that allow them to lead fulfilling communal lives.
