Western democracy threatens social harmony
Western civilisation has a very long history. There have been many different aspects of this society that have attained exceptional levels of success over the previous two thousand years. Through numerous evolutions, refinements, additions, and transformations, society and the state have achieved a state of wealth and respectability. The relentless pursuit of Western thinkers drove the society's intellectual, social, economic, and political development. These are also well supported by the core social and religious values of medieval Western Christianity. These ideas may be traced back to ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Renaissance, reformation, progressive evolution in art, literature, education, and culture, as well as the beginning of the scientific revolution, all began as a consequence of the work of great thinkers. Due to the increased nature of globalisation and unprecedented advancement of digital technology, a new contemporary West of the 21st century is becoming apparent. However, the Renaissance that began in the East between 1400 and 1700 AD brought about a new way of life, social philosophy, free-thinking, and aesthetics in mind that altered not only the West but also the entire world for all time. Education became a more prominent topic of discussion in society as a direct outcome of the Renaissance. It is as a consequence of this that the significance of religion is diminishing in these Western countries. The human race emerged victorious. The natural intellectual movement began. At this time, people started showing more interest in education, classical arts, literature, and science.
As a consequence of this, we witnessed the triumph of the nations located in the western region. The exceptional success of growth and development has expanded over all areas of study, including philosophy, social policy, economics, politics, and military policy. Humanist ideals achieved the highest possible level of social acceptance.
Then, suddenly, everything changed one day, and it is still evolving rapidly. In every facet of civilisation, decay started to spread. Catastrophe and instability ensue. On the other hand, many thinkers, philosophers, and wise people were concerned about such a situation long in advance and knew that humanity would eventually suffer. The so-called "Democracy" is an essential factor in the moral collapse of Western society in all aspects. The West has consistently adhered to this social ideology as the best way to achieve social progress and development, social harmony and peace, fairness and justice globally.
Consequently, they sometimes coerce smaller nations into adopting this ideology, although democracy does not suit all situations. It has numerous disadvantages and cannot be implemented uniformly across all societies. The term "democracy" originated in the city-state of Athens during classical antiquity, where it was first applied to political and philosophical discourse. The emergence of democracy in Athens occurred around the fifth century BCE. In contrast to contemporary democracy, the Greek conception of democracy mandated that all adult citizens of Athens actively participate in governmental affairs. Many prominent Greek thinkers have previously recognised that democracy may not effectively serve society due to its inherent flaws.
Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, despised democracy. He was aware of its perils and advised against them. According to him, the selection of a ruler should not be predicated on popularity but rather on possessing the requisite expertise to govern a nation. This can be likened to how an architect designs a sturdy edifice or how a physician manages an individual's health. This perspective dates back over 2,500 years, as evidenced by the democracy in Athens. Socrates thought that everyone should be sceptical of everything and did what he preached about democracy. He was a vocal critic of the Athenian government. Two of his most severe objections to democracy were the majority rule's lack of knowledge and the potential for a demagogue. He believed that a "corruption of majority" would result if individuals made ill-informed and imprudent decisions if the Democratic Party granted birthright to the right to vote, given that not everyone could be a philosopher. In a democratic system, individuals are preoccupied with advancing their particular interests, and those who speak softly are rewarded the most. By employing rhetoric and flattery, these individuals consistently seek to manipulate the minds of others to gain popularity. They aim to increase their fortune through the political system as an alternative to genuinely caring about the people and society. Consequently, these individuals do not make any societal contributions, and society does not benefit from their self-centred behaviour. As a consequence, democracy imposes burdens on the state.
Throughout history, Western philosophers have expressed their dissatisfaction with Western democracy in both their writing and their public discourse. Even though the theoretical goals of democracy, such as the ideals of social equality, representation, and freedom, are embodied, the actual implementation of democracy is not achievable for a variety of reasons. In light of the 21st century, we can understand why democratic beliefs are detrimental to society by looking at the great thinkers of the East. Several of the world's most eminent thinkers have offered a perceptive analysis of the inherent shortcomings of Western democracy.
The renowned philosopher and thinker Plato was a teacher of Aristotle and a student of Socrates. There was an era of philosophical meditation in ancient Greece. During that era, philosophers contemplated and formulated theories regarding various subjects, including moral difficulties, ethics, and human nature. Around the middle of the 4th century BC, Plato wrote a great deal about multiple topics. His thought process was mainly influenced by his master, Socrates. In the timeless work still widely praised, "The Republic," Plato delivered a biting indictment of democracy. He presents democracy as an imperfect structure. He thinks democracy is a unique, but chaotic and complex administration system. He says that too much freedom is a threat to democracy. He defined democracy as a social structure in which everyone has the equal right to rule. Power can also come to all sorts of self-centred individuals who are driven solely by their ambitions and have no regard for others in the universe. According to Plato, the unbridled pursuit of personal interests, the deterioration of morality in society, and the unequal growth of capitalism are the leading causes of democracy's inevitable descent into violence. According to him, democracy gives the unscrupulous and inept the ability to control public opinion to further their agendas. Furthermore, according to Plato, only wise men's reign could bring about true justice, hence the idea of the "philosopher-king". We have no idea what he would do if Plato were still living today. However, he would have been distraught to learn that his predictions and statements were becoming true and that modern society was a haven for corruption since society did not want to acknowledge the truth. The age of deception is upon us.
If we go from Greece to England, the capital of capitalism, we will find John Stuart Mill, a renowned British philosopher, political economist and civil servant of the 19th century. He became world-famous for his scholarship on the theory of liberalism and social progress. He was born in London in 1806. Mill's most famous work, "On Liberty," was published in 1859. He strongly advocated individual freedom and autonomy as essential to a flourishing society. At the same time, he expressed concern about the tyranny of the majority within a democratic society. While acknowledging the merits of democracy in protecting individual liberties, Mill warned against suppressing minority voices and imposing conformity by conventional majorities. He argues that democracy should not be equated with majoritarianism but should prioritise protecting individual rights and liberties. Mill's ideas resonate in contemporary discussions surrounding protecting minority rights and the need for pluralism in democratic societies.
Like Mill, Hannah Arendt criticised political apathy. He was one of the most influential political philosophers of the 20th century. Born in 1906 in a German Jewish family, he was forced to leave Germany at twenty-seven. I lived in Paris. He moved to America after eight years. In works such as "The Human Condition" and "On Revolution", Hannah Arendt provides a distinctive critique of modern democracy characterised by political apathy and alienation. He directly blames the rise of capitalism and consumerism for the decline of active citizenship and public involvement. He also lamented the bureaucratisation and privatisation of the public sector. He called for participatory democracy and the revitalisation of public life through grassroots movements. According to him, it is natural for democratic culture to decline in an age of apathy and isolation.
Today, the worries of these Western intellectuals have become a reality. However, during the Soviet Union, the world had a sense of equilibrium. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which was caused by long-term intrigues on the part of the West, they brought the emergence of democracy to a head. Across the globe, Western propaganda campaigns and lectures are being organised in an effort to bring democracy to every corner of the world. At the same time, however, a new form of conspiracy is taking place to oppose Russia, which is the primary adversary of democracy according to so-called Western thinkers, politicians, journalists and majority members of Civil society who always underestimate Russia's Power and national values. It is clear from a cursory examination of recent events that Western civilisation has lost the ability to Mold the globe in its image. Taking into consideration the events that are taking place in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, and Gaza, it is evident that Western democracies are currently experiencing a severe crisis.
On the other hand, Western pundits, politicians, media, journalists, and so-called intellectuals continue to brazenly spread the fiction that Western democracy is the best way to advance social progress. John Micklethwaite and Adrian Wooldridge, two prominent economists who have been at the forefront of English liberalism and have recently published their book titled "The Fourth Revolution," have expressed their belief that Western democracies have deteriorated. On the other hand, these same individuals had been persisting for a considerable amount of time that the only way for the countries of the East to achieve wealth and stability was by following Western prescriptions. As this century continues to drag on, one conclusion comes to light: we are all going to be living through the most violent century in the history of humanity. Every community and state indeed possess its language, culture, and identity. It is the ultimate form and ideal of human existence. Real liberation of the society will come in keeping, cherishing and observing the ideals of this culture.
Critiques of Western democracy by great philosophers such as Plato, John Stuart Mill and Hannah Arendt provide valuable insights into the shortcomings of contemporary political systems. However, democracy is a cornerstone of Western governance. It is now time to pay attention to the various defects of democratic culture developed on the model of the West. Western society should come out of political corruption, not leave the bully of democracy, not force the air of democracy on others, and shake the unequal capitalism and rampant consumerism. It is essential to strengthen ideas that support the principles of justice, freedom and active citizenship and to strive for inclusive social processes. The social values of Western democracy are modelled on capitalism and a free-market economy where capital, consumerism, selfishness, goods, jobs, individual and freedom of speech and people move freely; that democracy is in decay today. Since the last century, the zealous pundits of the Cold War warriors have gradually steered the post-colonial world away from communist-style revolutions towards unequal consumer capitalism and so-called democracy. The whole of European domination and progress was influenced by fratricidal violence, intellectual fraud and self-deception. Therefore, we must develop in our way as a society or a state. The development and progress of humanity lies in the development of social philosophy by prioritising people's thoughts and education, keeping our own culture and ideals in front and taking into account the geographical environment as it happened in Russia after the Russian Revolution.