El consenso como concepto filosófico-político: contribución a la historia y a la re-composición de un rompecabezas teórico

Although the unproblematic use of the terms “consensus” and “consent” in ordinary language suggests that there must be some shared understanding of their meaning, there is no widespread assent on the use of these concepts among political philosophers. In fact, their philosophical meaning remains elusive and controversial, perhaps exactly because of their extension and centrality. Taking note of the numerous attempts to provide a satisfactory account of “consensus” and “consent” – that have become increasingly sophisticated in time – this article recollects some fundamental philosophical uses of the two many-faceted concepts, and suggests a strategy for delineating a map that looks like a puzzle, whose pieces are shaped in such a way that we need a multidisciplinary approach in order to adequately identify their meanings and implications.