A3 Book section, Chapters in research books
Workplace democracy and republican freedom (2022)
Breen, K., & Hirvonen, O. (2022). Workplace democracy and republican freedom. In K. Breen, & J.-P. Deranty (Eds.), The Politics and Ethics of Contemporary Work : Whither Work? (pp. 134-149). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429243394-10
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Breen, Keith; Hirvonen, Onni
Parent publication: The Politics and Ethics of Contemporary Work : Whither Work?
Parent publication editors: Breen, Keith; Deranty, Jean-Philippe
ISBN: 978-0-367-19806-0
eISBN: 978-0-429-24339-4
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 17/05/2021
Pages range: 134-149
Number of pages in the book: 256
Publisher: Routledge
Place of Publication: Abingdon
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429243394-10
Publication open access: Not open
Publication channel open access:
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/81164
Abstract
In this chapter, Keith Breen and Onni Hirvonen examine the case for democratic worker voice based on the republican ideal of freedom as non-domination. While not unconvincing, this case is primarily consequentialist in character and therefore open to significant empirical disagreement. Indeed, together with republican arguments for democratic worker voice, there are republican arguments for worker voice that reject workplace democracy, republican arguments that see state regulation plus a universal basic income (UBI) as sufficient for minimizing workplace domination, and republican arguments that focus exclusively on exit rights and are hostile to augmenting workers’ voice. Breen and Hirvonen claim this policy indeterminacy stems from a restriction by republicans of the ideal of freedom to the dimension of non-domination alone. If we expand our understanding of freedom to include worker autonomy—a dimension of freedom underpinning the ‘expressive egalitarianism’ definitive of republican citizenship, properly understood—we can arrive at a more robust freedom-based case for workplace democracy.
Keywords: codetermination (general); ideals; republicanism; individual freedom; autonomy (societal properties); egalitarianism; political philosophy; social philosophy
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2022
JUFO rating: 3
