Western civilisation has a very long history. Many aspects of this society have achieved exceptional success over the past two thousand years. Through various stages of evolution, refinement, and transformation, Western society has achieved wealth and respectability. The relentless pursuit of great 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. The Renaissance, the Reformation, and the progressive evolution in art, literature, education, and culture, as well as the beginning of the scientific revolution, were all influenced by the work of great thinkers. However, due to the increasing pace of globalisation and unprecedented advancement of digital technology, a new form of the contemporary West is emerging. And this, of course, is very disturbing.
The Renaissance, which began in the West between 1400 and 1700 AD, brought about a new way of life, social philosophy, free thinking, and aesthetics 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. The human race emerged victorious. The natural intellectual movement began. During this time, people began to show greater interest in education, classical arts, literature, and science. The exceptional success of growth and development has expanded to 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, and it is still evolving rapidly. In every facet of civilisation, decay started to spread. Many thinkers, philosophers, and intellectuals 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, and global fairness and justice. Consequently, they sometimes coerce smaller nations into adopting this ideology.
The term ‘democracy’ originated in 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 mandated that all adult citizens of Athens actively participate in government. Socrates 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. He thought that everyone should be sceptical of everything and practised what he preached about democracy. He was a vocal critic of the Athenian government. He believed that a ‘corruption of the 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 others’ minds to gain popularity.
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. Several of the world’s most eminent thinkers have offered a perceptive analysis of the inherent shortcomings of Western democracy.
Around the middle of the 4th century BC, Plato wrote extensively on a range of topics. His thought process was mainly influenced by his master, Socrates. In the timeless work The Republic, Plato presents democracy as an imperfect structure. He thinks democracy is a unique but chaotic and complex administrative system. He says that too much freedom is a threat to democracy. He defined democracy as a social structure in which everyone has an equal right to participate in governance. Power can also accrue to all sorts of self-centred individuals driven solely by ambition and with no regard for others in the universe. Plato believed that only a wise man’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 coming true and that modern society was a haven for corruption, since it did not want to acknowledge the truth.
John Stuart Mill, a renowned British philosopher, political economist and civil servant of the 19th century, became world-famous for his scholarship on liberalism and social progress. 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. She was one of the most influential political philosophers of the 20th century. In works such as The Human Condition and On Revolution, Arendt provides a distinctive critique of modern democracy characterised by political apathy and alienation. She directly blames the rise of capitalism and consumerism for the decline of active citizenship and public involvement. She also lamented the bureaucratisation and privatisation of the public sector. Se called for participatory democracy and the revitalisation of public life through grassroots movements.
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 the democratic culture developed on the West’s model. Western society should come out of political corruption, not leave the bully of democracy, not force the air of democracy on others, and shake off 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.
In such a society, capital, consumerism, selfishness, goods, jobs, individualism, and freedom of speech are valued, and people move freely. However, such a democracy is in decay today. The whole of European domination and progress was influenced by fratricidal violence, intellectual fraud and self-deception. The development and progress of humanity lie in the development of social philosophy by prioritising people’s thoughts and education, keeping our own culture and ideals at the forefront. And of course, taking into account the geographical environment, as happened in Russia after the Russian Revolution.
The writer is a UK based educator, author, and researcher
