creates a heavily polarised citizenry. According to this viewpoint then, the very principle of deliberative democracy is inherently paradoxical and contradictory. On the one hand, it prioritises the need for a unified and harmonious society, and on the other, advocates a process which achieves the opposite, creating new sources of tension and division, while inflating existing ones. Interestingly, he points to Marx’s theory of class-consciousness -- that as a result of the process of discussing and assessing their position (as advocated by deliberative theorists), workers realise that their interests are entirely at odds with those of their bosses (bourgeoisie). Prior to this process of realisation, society is largely free of conflict and division. However, subsequent to the process, society becomes bitterly divided and polarised after realising the extent of their incompatibilities. 128 Blaug draws attention to republican forms of deliberative democracy, which attempt to deal with such aspects of previous models that could potentially be problematic. 129 Republican forms are, particularly, concerned with forwarding deliberation in democratic systems as a means of promoting harmony and understanding, but assert that such processes of deliberation must be kept within the realms of traditional institutions. Contrary to the theories presented by the likes of Gutmann and Thompson, Slim, and McAfee that society and its institutions must be transformed, republican forms of deliberative democracy present these institutions as a vital means of binding society together. And so, in maintaining them, while simultaneously adhering to deliberative principles, citizens remain united behind basic societal symbols, while enjoying the efficiency and involvement delivered by deliberation. Blaug also remarks, however, that the
128 Shapiro, pp. 31-32. 129 Ricardo Blaug, ‘New Developments in Deliberative Democracy’, Politics , 16.2 (1996), 71-77 (pp. 71-73).
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