In my work (lates article: Democracy needs Rebellion) I argue that those who protest peacefully are the real democrats, that protest and rebellion are the indispensable incredients of a democracy. Social movements like #fridays for future or #blacklivesmatter are today's democratic rebellions that can further improve and democratise representative democracy. My work is mainly based on Albert Camus' thinking. What about other theories?
Democracy has come under pressure in many countries in recent years. Authoritarian tendencies, populism and the cult of leadership threaten pluralistic societies in Europe USA and other parts of the world. But democracy is more than just a method of finding a majority; it is inextricably linked to the fight againstoppression, discrimination and #injustice in all contexts of life. Especially in times of democratic crisis, it is necessary to focus on its core aspects. The political thinking of French philosopher and writer Albert Camus, who died in 1960, offers the basis for a redefinition of democracy that is linked to and dependent on rebellion. From his reflections, a radical theory of democracy can be derived that is based on revolt and resistance to authoritarianism, on doubt, dialogue and foreignness.
https://lnkd.in/dQRwwRi
The new theory and practise of protests is now developing in Belarus - we, in Lithuania, watching it very carefully. Of course, Belarus is not a democratic country still, but anyway - a very interesting example for observation.
I think, the problem of formal versus real democracy has much to do with the problem of protest. This aspect, to my opinion, is rather rarely considered in theories of democracy. Don't You think so?
Yes, absolutely. I think that's correct. Theories of democracy usually do not focus on protest, but more on political equality and freedom or the balance of power. There are some exceptions, however, going back to Thoreau and Albert Camus - I have tried to develop a democratic theory basing on Camus' thought and call it "democracy as rebellion", but it is not strongly perceived by the main stream. There are some other philosophers today like Geoffroy de Lagasnerie who argues that revolt is key for democracies, but still all these works are not enough appreciated by the mainstream theories, that's still Rawls, Habermas, Mouffe etc. Maybe Laclau and Mouffe could be considered to have an interest in protest, but from another perspective and with another focus.
Social movements—defined as collectives acting with some continuity to promote or resist a change in the society or group of which they are a part—have impacted attitudes, behaviors, and social relationships. The root causes of social movements are (perceived or actual) cultural drift, social disorganization, and social injustice. That said, this query invites comments on legitimacy and the processes of legitimation and/or delegitimation, a matter that acquires ever-growing importance with the intensifying use of social media.
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