We argue that both Weber and Durkheim are theoretically committed to similar liberal values: the concern for the free individual and the belief that individuals should participate actively in social life. Each embrace democracy as the political form best suited to promote the realm of individual freedom. Their common ideological commitments give away to two different analytic theories of democracy because of their different empirical assessments of the possibilities for individual freedom in modern society. Weber's pessimism promotes a formal theory of democracy; political inclusion is the central feature of modern democratic orders. Durkheim's faith in modern society leads to a substantive theory of democracy characterized by moral integration. We further argue that Weber has been most influential in political sociology; concern for formal structures of rule has predominated over Durkheimian substantive concerns. We address the contemporary problem of democratic instability and suggest that our understanding could benefit from a largely neglected Durkheimian analysis.