Vol 5, No 1, 2006 pp. 103-111
UDC 321.7
THE PROBLEMS OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS:
WEST AND EAST OF EUROPE
Zoran Avramović
Faculty of Philosophy, Kosovska Mitrovica
zoran.a@sezampro.yu
The author deals with the problem of European (global) democratization
and not with its goals.
The author defines the first group of problems as internal contradictions
of modern democratic states. In addition to the existing historical-political
criticisms of democratic rule, the author refers to critical analysis of
democracy in John Keane's works. According to Keane, the modern democratic
state gets involved in several ways in the field of free circulation of
public opinion. Based on this and other analyses (Bobio, Dahl), the author
concludes that in contemporary European democratic societies there also
exist profound contradictions that are transferred to globalization of
democracy, too.
The author identifies the second problem concerning European democratization
in its anthropological assumptions. With reference to Tocqueville's book
"Democracy in America", the author states that American democracy man develops
personality characteristics oriented to the acquisition of material goods
(enrichment). The expansion of Euro-American picture of man to other democracies
creates the tension between universal institutions and national political
cultural.
The third problem concerning democracy is defined from the viewpoint
of political relativism. The history of the world is the history of cultural
differences. The short-term experience in european democratization proves
that political relativism is not respected and that tendency to imposing
Euro-American model is gaining in strength. This process endangers political
identity of a nation, which becomes the source of confrontation and conflicts
inside and between the states.
In summary, the author suggests the solution of the problem in the
spirit of political liberalism. The states (or groups of states) do not
have the right to prescribe for other states how to define their public
good, except in case they endanger other states (or in case they conduct
massive killing of their own citizens).
Key words: Europe, USA, democracy,
national identity, political relativism, liberalism.
PROBLEMI DEMOKRATSKIH INSTITUCIJA:
ZAPADNA I ISTOČNA EVROPA
Autor se bavi problemom globalne demokratije. Prva grupa problema se odredjuje
kao unutrašnje kontradikcije demokratske države. Pored istorijsko-političke
kritike demokratije autor se poziva na radove Džona Kina. Po mišljenju
Kina, moderna demokratska država se na nekoliko načina meša u javno mišljenje.
Oslanjajući se na druge analize (Bobio, Dal) autor zaključuje da savremene
evropske društve takodje sadrže kontradikcije demokratskog preobražaja
koje prenose u oblast politike. Drugu grupu problema globalne demokratije
autor razmatra sa antropoloških pretpostavki. Pozivajući se na Tokvilovu
knjigu Demokrarija u Americi, autor tvrdi da je američki čovek orijentisan
na materijalne ciljeve. Širenje slike evro-američkog čoveka na druge države
stvara tenzije izmedju univerzalnih ustanova i nacionalne političke kulturne.
Treći problem u razmatranju globalne demokratije odnosi se na politički
relativizam. Istorija sveta je istorija kulturnog relativizma. Kratka istorija
evropske demokratizacije dokazuje da politički relativizam nije poštovan
već tendencija nametanja evro-američkog modela. Takav proces ugrožava politički
identitet nacije, koji postaje izvor sukoba kako unutar države tako i izmedju
država. U zaključku, autor sugerira rešenje problema u duhu političkog
liberalizma. Države (ili grupe država) nemaju pravo da propišu drugim državama
kako da definišu svoje opšte dobro, izuzev u slučaju da ugrožavaju druge
države (ili u slučaju masovnog ubijanja sopstvenog stanovništva).
Ključne reči: Evropa, Amerika,
demokratija, nacionalni identitet, politčki relativizam, liberalizam
