EN
A deliberative democracy represents one of the most discussed concepts in contemporary political science. It is believed that is rooted in the idea of participatory democracy which appeared as a theory in 1970s. In the paper the both concepts are analysed in comparative perspective. Firstly, the idea of public deliberation is introduced, together with its “four (theoretical) generations”. Secondly, the author shed some light on the ongoing issue of the relationship of participatory and deliberative democracies through the perspective of various contemporary scholars. Consequently, some of their common traits are clarified.