Democracy Today.indb - Universidade do Minho
Democracy Today.indb - Universidade do Minho
Democracy Today.indb - Universidade do Minho
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to facilitate the selection of the best and to improve the government’s<br />
ability to conduct public affairs.” (1988, 168) And also:<br />
The acuity of his [Tocqueville’s] vision of democracy is, moreover, such that<br />
it allows him to grasp […] the complicity between the resolute supporters of<br />
order, who are prepared to increase the government’s power because of their<br />
fear of anarchy, and its adversaries, who, in order to further the cause of the<br />
people, either call for a new revolution or construct models of a society in<br />
which all antagonisms disappear.” (Lefort 1988, 168) [Italics mine]<br />
32<br />
DEMOCRACY TODAY<br />
Along this vein, Tocqueville’s contrast between political free<strong>do</strong>m<br />
and “democratic despotism” could be compared with the opposition<br />
between democracy and totalitarianism in Lefort’s theory. As we have<br />
already discussed, Tocqueville sees the biggest danger of Democratic<br />
society in its tendency to centralize everything in the name of the<br />
sovereignty of the people. It not only demands obedience from its<br />
subject citizens, but also tries to mold them in this culture of control.<br />
Tocqueville distinguishes it from ancient despotism and calls it<br />
“democratic despotism.” Regarding this, Lefort remarks: “there can be<br />
no <strong>do</strong>ubt about it: Tocqueville has pinpointed an event which marks<br />
the irruption of an unprecedented <strong>do</strong>mination.” (1988, 167) It closely<br />
resembles Lefort’s characterization of totalitarian society:<br />
When society no longer recognizes the existence of anything external<br />
to it, social power knows no bounds. It is a product of society, but at the<br />
same time it has a vocation to produce society; the boundaries of personal<br />
existences mean nothing to it because it purports to be the agent of all.<br />
(Lefort 1988, 167)<br />
Totalitarian regime – and democratic despotism – is the denial of<br />
the dividedness of society and it ignores the necessity of power being<br />
counterbalanced. As a result, it denies the openness of society, which<br />
both Tocqueville and Lefort aspire to preserve in modern society. In<br />
this sense, Lefort states: “political free<strong>do</strong>m […] reveals the essence of<br />
the political.” (1988, 170)<br />
However, there are some differences between the two thinkers<br />
as well. A crucial one is on the issue of human rights. In “Droits de