'Democracy is a means of achieving a higher level of individual and collective gratification, welfare, peace, stability and prosperity. It is not an end in itself! Practitioners of democracy in the Pacific should therefore be pragmatic in their approach. An idealistic and a purist approach is, I believe, misplaced.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Democracy should be a tool for collective well‑being, not a goal itself; pragmatic approaches are preferred over idealistic ones.
- In plain terms
- Use democracy to improve people’s lives, not as a perfect end.
- What can you take from it?
- Focus on practical outcomes when applying democratic systems.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does pragmatism become complacency?
Another view
Pragmatism can ignore important principles.
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