Kłopoty pojęciowe z demokracją. Ujęcie opisowe, semantyczne i normatywne
Conceptual problems with democracy. Descriptive, semantic and normative approaches
Author(s): Stanisław ŁojekSubject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: KSIĘGARNIA AKADEMICKA Sp. z o.o.
Keywords: democracy; theory; practice; description; meaning; norm
Summary/Abstract: The conceptual confusion makes it difficult to provide a convincing answer to the question of what democracy is. One reason of this, which I would like to analyze below, is a intermingling of the descriptive, normative and semantic elements in almost each theory of democracy. I will show that a pure description is probably impossible, and that any attempt to approach the actual functioning of any regime necessarily contains normative assessment and expectations. In conclusion, I point out that a fair comparison of democratic models and practices requires a special effort to separate the normative and descriptive elements. I also note that the study of normative assumptions underlying some commonly accepted views of democracy allows a better understanding of their theoretical and practical circumstances and consequences, which in turn can contribute to their revision.
Journal: Politeja - Pismo Wydziału Studiów Międzynarodowych i Politycznych Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
- Issue Year: 10/2013
- Issue No: 23
- Page Range: 275-288
- Page Count: 14
- Language: Polish