These cyclical historical narratives are becoming more brutal as time goes on. For this reason ought we not be focusing on why it is we need arrange the human family on spaceship earth on the basis of competition, trade, markets, rampant consumerism and perpetual growth? Do not market dynamics always and inevitably gravitate towards oligarchy hence Caesarism. It seems that history has one fundamental law to teach us and that is that we never seem to learn anything from it. Great article mind.
The biggest problem with democracy is that it is a process, it is not in itself equivalent to The Good (whatever that may mean). Because it tries to decentralize out of fear of tyranny and authoritarian power, it is not able to articulate a convincing vision of the good. It regards the good as simply the process, following the rules. That is not satisfying when actual evil is running rampant through the system. If democracy is to survive at all, it requires strong and effective leadership. Leaders who believe in more than just democracy - they have to have deeper commitments which resonate with the masses.
Thanks for an excellent and accessible summary of the key historical and conceptual issues surrounding democracy. Huge amount of information and knowledge in a very efficient package!
Anything to do with human organization - including great heists/piracy/genocides/criminal acts/etc. - and the great efforts to prevent them from occurring are merely as good or poor as the humans involved in them. Thus making psychosocial factors acquire as much if not more currency as the structural ones. Given that iterativeness & reproduction are as crucial as successful mimicry is for con-jobs & monkey-business, and comprehension is for innovation & therefore growth, adaptation & generic evolution viz both the erlebnis & the erfahrung leading to what one also terms as the wissenschaften.
These cyclical historical narratives are becoming more brutal as time goes on. For this reason ought we not be focusing on why it is we need arrange the human family on spaceship earth on the basis of competition, trade, markets, rampant consumerism and perpetual growth? Do not market dynamics always and inevitably gravitate towards oligarchy hence Caesarism. It seems that history has one fundamental law to teach us and that is that we never seem to learn anything from it. Great article mind.
The biggest problem with democracy is that it is a process, it is not in itself equivalent to The Good (whatever that may mean). Because it tries to decentralize out of fear of tyranny and authoritarian power, it is not able to articulate a convincing vision of the good. It regards the good as simply the process, following the rules. That is not satisfying when actual evil is running rampant through the system. If democracy is to survive at all, it requires strong and effective leadership. Leaders who believe in more than just democracy - they have to have deeper commitments which resonate with the masses.
Does anyone else have the distinct impression that this was written by an LLM chat bot?
Thanks for an excellent and accessible summary of the key historical and conceptual issues surrounding democracy. Huge amount of information and knowledge in a very efficient package!
It’s already an illiberal democracy at this point… can we get back, that’s the real question
Anything to do with human organization - including great heists/piracy/genocides/criminal acts/etc. - and the great efforts to prevent them from occurring are merely as good or poor as the humans involved in them. Thus making psychosocial factors acquire as much if not more currency as the structural ones. Given that iterativeness & reproduction are as crucial as successful mimicry is for con-jobs & monkey-business, and comprehension is for innovation & therefore growth, adaptation & generic evolution viz both the erlebnis & the erfahrung leading to what one also terms as the wissenschaften.
Well written article most of which I agree with.
I just wish I shared the author's optimism.