"Глубинная" демократия и политический авторитет

Полития: Анализ. Хроника. Прогноз. 2020. № 3. С. 34–61.

Фокин К. В.

The article is devoted to the problem of political authority and its features in the modern democratic communities. The author interprets autho rity as a socio-political institution that is rooted in the biological nature of a human and has been evolving throughout the history. According to his concept, trust in political authority is determined by faith in the external force that delegates this authority — God, imagined community in the form of a Nation or a State, or a value system — this is what Democracy is. Subordination to democratic authority (unlike other types) is based on a “new” normative (moral) foundation: it is “this country is right, therefore it is mine” rather than “regardless of whether it is right or wrong, this is my country”.

The author’s argument in general justifies the traditional defense of libe ral democracy. Although he admits that the postmodern and anarchist critics of democratic authority have their own logic and reasons, he points out that some of their statements are inconsistent with the latest empirical data, including data from the field of biopolitics. From his point of view, since the main institutional foundation of democracy is the value system and citizens’ belief in this system, democracy in principle is not jeopardized by the “emergency situation” that predisposes reconstruction of the authoritarian practi ces. This is also because a high level of interpersonal trust, solidarity, faith in demo cratic values and accountability will restore the “open society” regime. Liberal democracy is threatened by the sentiments of frustration, panic and fear, and if they prevail, democracy can really be hurt.

Keywords: биополитика, coevolution, генно-культурная коэволюция, biopolitics, political authority, политический авторитет, «Кризис демократии», глубинная демократия, альтруизм и кооперация, altruism and cooperation, crisis of liberal democracy