Republicanism is the opposite of monarchism, but this is only the starting point. At a deeper level, it must be seen as an attempt to reverse a long civilizational process in which human history has largely been a march toward the refinement and strengthening of tools of domination, of some over others, both among political units and within them. To begin with, by republicanism, the American founding fathers meant elite mediation within their democratic setup, so that popular will itself did not subvert the idea of freedom. Today, however, the idea requires an infusion of fresh moral and institutional inputs if it is to contribute meaningfully to human progress toward a more fulfilling life.
For instance, republicanism may be invested with Gandhism, which alone articulates a reversal of this civilizational trajectory by anchoring human affairs in truth and non-violence, i.e. in morality and compassion, and through decentralisation and horizontalisation.
Niraj Kumar Jha
