A book that is essential for understanding social and economic action is republished

Understanding the concepts behind words  is always necessary, especially when it comes to the social and economic systems in which we operate.  Returning to classics such as Giovanni Sartori’s ‘Democrazia e definizioni’ (Democracy and definitions), first published in 1957 and reprinted several times since, is a good place to start.

In his book, the author, who was just over thirty years old at the time of writing, tackles the fundamental problems and essential, perennial issues of democracy with logical rigour. He begins by emphasising the importance of precisely defining the meaning of the linguistic terms used.

However, as we continue reading, we delve into an examination of democracy in which the descriptive and normative dimensions become closely intertwined. Indeed, the entire book can be summarised in the opening lines of the preface (correctly reproduced in the newly published edition). The author writes,  ‘This book is not intended to be technical and therefore does not discuss “definitions” in the technical sense of the term.  By “definition”, I simply mean the need to establish the meaning or meanings of a linguistic term with a certain clarity and precision:  in our case, that of democracy’. But why? The answer is given immediately:  ‘Definitions are important because our judgements and our corresponding behaviours depend on the definitions to which they refer.  We are anti-democratic, democratic, or hyper-democratic depending on our conception of democracy’. This is where we move from definitions to behaviours and then to rules:  ‘Within a democratic experiment, we want a certain kind of democracy and reject another, measuring reality against a yardstick made up of definitions,’ as Sartori points out. These are the cornerstones from which Sartori proceeds in his writing and which the reader encounters, starting, of course, with ‘defining democracy’ (in the first part of the book) and moving on to the history of democracy (in the second part) through the analysis of the different ways (and therefore rules) in which this concept has been put into practice over time.

Taking into account what the author writes, ‘An investigation into democracy ends up being democratic.  I mean that it is not intended for a specialised circle of readers’, Giovanni Sartori’s book is certainly dense and must be approached with great attention. This is not because it is difficult for most people, but because it should be a tool of knowledge and culture for the reader.  A tool to be used in numerous areas of social and economic activity.

Democrazia e definizioni

Giovanni Sartori

il Mulino, 2025