ABSTRACT
Some theorists have argued that because man’s nature is what it is a democracy of participation is undesirable. Others have held that man’s nature, together with certain sociological truths, makes a democracy of participation, or even of majority rule, impossible. I will examine the way in which various conceptions of human nature are related to participatory democracy; for the actual relevance of conceptions of human nature to participatory democracy is not usually shown clearly. Consequently, fundamental problems of democratic theory are not formulated precisely enough. My aim is to weaken the hold that certain sceptical dogmas have on the minds of those who might otherwise be inclined to take more seriously the task of increasing the participatory element in modern industrial societies.
