Republicanismo: el lugar de la virtud

Abstract

All characterizations of republicanism mention civic virtue. However, the location of virtue in republican political philosophy is not always clear. I will take as a starting point Rawl's reflection. His fear is that the defence of what democracy needs, civic virtue, can endanger freedom. This is what I will call (Rawl's) «problem with virtue». A problem which, in his view, seriously compromises republicanism. I will try to show that this is in reality a problem of liberalism which directly points to a very well known tension between rights and democracy, the only «liberal solution» of which amounts to entrenching rights «against democracy», excluding citizens commitment. In the second part I will show that the problem is real, but that it does not affect all republicanisms, and I will argue that «Rawls' problem» fundamentally affects that republicanism which has as its objective «citizens' s self-realization»; which tries, so to say, to maximize virtue. Things are not the same with that other republicanism which accords an instrumental value to virtue. In the last part I will define this idea of a republicanism which accords an instrumental role to virtue and democracy in that which really matters: freedom.