The Development of Deliberation: A Historical Overview of Its Underlying Ideas

Deliberation in contemporary democracies involve argumentative, reasoned, balanced and conscientious exchanges of ideas between citizens. While the origins of these concepts can be traced in Antiquity, we do not know how they evolved and developed over time. This paper seeks to address this void in the literature and discusses the development of the ideas behind deliberation over time. In doing so, it starts with a comparison of the views about decision-making and deliberation in Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero, considering their rhetorical and dialogical perspectives. Then, it traces the development of these ideas through history seeking to understand how they were shaped by different political experiences until the 21st century. The paper ends with a discussion about the insights provided by these ideas and developments on the contemporary issues related to deliberation.