Reflections on the ontological nature of political representation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25247/P1982-999X.2026.v26n1.p37-55Keywords:
representation, democracy, Political ScienceAbstract
There is a discussion about the ontological nature of political representation, from a logical and pragmatic point of view, evaluating the possibility of substantive foundations in it, in addition to the merely procedural ones. Argumentation goes through the logical-formal impossibility of representation and its consequences and derivations that affects practical manifestations of representation as a way to extract the collective will of society. The effect of these issues on democratic adherence and the principles of political representation, more generally considered, in a context in which governments are obliged to be accountable for their decisions and actions and to listen to the demands of society. As a result, it is highlighted that understanding the values, identities and commitments of the representative adds relevant qualitative dimensions to understanding the phenomenon of representation.
Downloads
References
ARISTÓTELES. Acerca del alma. Madrid: Gredos, 1978
BURKE, Edmund. Discurso aos eleitores de Bristol. Revista Sociológica e Política, 20 (44), nov. 2012.
EPSTEIN, Isaac. Teoria da informação. São Paulo: Ática, 2003.
EULAU, Heinz; PREWITT, Kenneth. Political matrix and political representation: prolegomenon to a new departure from an old problem. The American Political Science Review, v. 63, n. 2, p. 427-441, jun. 1969. Disponível em: http://www.jstor/org/stable/1954698. Acesso em: 23 jun. 2016.
FAIRLIE, John A. The nature of political representation I. The American Political Science Review, v. 34, n. 2, apr. 1940.
FINER, Samuel E. Governo comparado. Brasília: Editora Universidade de Brasília, 1981.
GUIZOT, François. A história das origens do governo representativo na Europa. Rio de Janeiro: Topbooks, 2008.
HOBBES, Thomas. Leviatã: ou matéria, forma e poder de um estado eclesiástico e civil. São Paulo: Martin Claret, 1651/2012.
KANT, Immanuel. Crítica da razão prática. Petrópolis: Vozes; Bragança Paulista: Editora Universitária São Francisco, 2016.
KANT, Immanuel. Metafísica dos costumes. Petrópolis: Vozes; Bragança Paulista: Editora Universitária São Francisco, 2013.
MILL, John Stuart. O governo representativo. São Paulo: Ibrasa, 1983.
NAGEL, Thomas. "What is it like to be a bat?", mortal questions. Cambridge: University Press, 1979.
PARFIT, Derek. On what matters. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
PITKIN, Hanna Fenichel. The concept of representation. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1972.
PITKIN, Hanna Fenichel. Representação: palavras, instituições e ideias. Lua Nova, São Paulo, 67, p. 15-47, 2006.
RAWLS, John. A theory of justice. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1999.
ROUSSEAU, J. J. Do contrato social. Lisboa: Portugalia, 1964.
SÓFOCLES. Édipo Rei ou Édipo em Tebas: tragédias completas. Cotia: Ateliê Editorial; Araçoiaba da Serra: Mnêma, 2022. (Sófocles, 2022).
TOCQUEVILLE, Alexis de. O antigo regime e a revolução. Brasília: Editora Universidade de Brasília, 1979.
URBINATTI, Nadia. Representação como advocacy: um estudo sobre deliberação democrática. Política e Sociedade. v. 9, n. 16, p. 51-88, abr. 2010.
WEISSBERG, Robert. Collective vs. dyadic representation in congress. The American Political Science Review, v. 72, n. 2, jun. 1978.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 André Rehbein Sathler Guimarães
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
