ABSTRACT
By structuring division, inequality and misrecognition, the neo-liberal polity changes the conditions which affect what it is to be a citizen in a democratic polity. The neo-liberal restructuring of this time brings into question the very possibility of many to realize their humanity. Three disparate public intellectuals from different traditions of political thought shared a hatred for the dominant values and practices of Victorian society: its laissez-faire utilitarianism, its possessive individualism, its selfishness and greed, its philistine tastes. Common goods are those people depend on if they are to flourish as a society as well as individuals. The idea that people are individuals, solitary selves first and foremost, is so deeply embedded in their consciousness and culture that it is difficult sometimes to think outside that fixed schema. Democracy is not a mere instrumental procedure aggregating votes to construct a decision.
