Democratic Double Consciousness

A century ago, W.E.B. Dubois described what he called the African-American double-consciousness, which refers to how, in a culture dominated by white perspective, a black person may always implicitly see himself twice: once from his own perspective, and once as the white man sees him.

The rhetorical critic Robert Terrill picked up on this term a few years ago to describe what he called a “democratic double-consciousness,” exemplified by Barack Obama. Obama, perhaps owing to his race and experience in the world Dubois described, tended to couch his remarks in a kind of double-consciousness of policy, speaking alternately from his own perspective, and then reflexively addressing or incorporating the perspectives of his critics.

This being a polarized country and all, it seems fitting that the only way to adequately rebuke the democratic double-consciousness is with democratic unconsciousness.