Democracy

Jaime de Magalhães LimaProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 89K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Democracia by Jaime de Magalhães LimaAuthor: Lima, Jaime de Magalhães, 1859-1936,Language: Portuguese, Class: JC: Political science: Political theory, Release Date: Mar 3, 2008

Editor's review

A Democracia (Democracy) is a work of political theory by the Portuguese writer Jaime de Magalhães Lima (1859–1936), written in Portuguese, classified under political science and political theory (JC), and released by Project Gutenberg. The author lived at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a time of dramatic change in European political thought, and the book can be seen as an intellectual's reflection on and debate over democratic institutions in that era. For readers studying Portuguese political thought or the modern political discourse of the Iberian Peninsula, it has both documentary and intellectual value. Note that its discussions rest on the social conditions of the author's time and differ in context from contemporary democratic theory; it should not be applied directly to present-day realities. It is suitable as supplementary material for readers in political science, intellectual history, or Portuguese studies, and for those interested in modern European political thought. Because the original is in Portuguese and strongly argumentative, the barrier to entry is high; a foundation in the language and background knowledge is recommended first.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Political science learners who are Portuguese majors or have Portuguese reading ability
Readers studying the history of modern European political thought and Iberian ideas
Readers interested in the historical development of democratic theory who are willing to read the original
Students needing public-domain Portuguese sources for coursework or papers

Not a good fit for

General readers unfamiliar with Portuguese who hope to read a Chinese translation
Beginners expecting a systematic textbook of contemporary democratic theory
Readers who prefer light reading and lack patience for theoretical argument

Reading tips

Before reading, learn about the author's era and the Portuguese political background, which helps grasp the focus of the argument.
Take notes on key points as you read to sort out the author's core claims about democracy and the structure of the argument.
Read alongside an introduction to contemporary democratic theory, noting the differences between the historical context and today's concepts.
For research purposes, record edition information and page numbers for easy citation and verification of the original wording.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is there a Chinese translation of this book?

According to the available information, the book is a Portuguese original released by Project Gutenberg, and no Chinese translation is mentioned. Readers who need to read in Chinese will have to look for other published editions themselves.

Can the book's views be applied directly to discussions of contemporary democracy?

The book was written between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and its discussions rest on the social and political conditions of that time. It should be read as a historical document of thought and compared with contemporary democratic theory rather than applied directly.

What language level is needed to read it?

The book is a theoretical argument in Portuguese with fairly complex sentence structures. Upper-intermediate Portuguese reading ability and familiarity with basic political science vocabulary are recommended; otherwise reading will be difficult.

Comments

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About the author

Jaime de Magalhães Lima Author · Portuguese · 1859–1936

Jaime de Magalhães Lima (1859–1936) was a Portuguese philosopher, poet, essayist and literary critic, born in Aveiro and a law graduate of the University of Coimbra. His writing spans literary criticism, social politics and religious ethics; his works include Democracy, Psalms of the Prisoner, Vegetarianism and the Morality of the Race and City and Landscape, as well as a study of Alexandre Herculano. He actively advocated vegetarianism and animal protection, and his works also resonate in the inspirational-growth category. Public information is limited and many details of his life are unclear, yet his surviving works show a writer who explored faith, social justice and personal cultivation in essays and poetic prose, in a calm and introspective style, taking part in the intellectual debates of Portugal from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century.