In the context of modern Democracy o citizen constitutes the fundamental subject and determines with his attitude, his vision and the social integration of a ideal State. It acts, individually and collectively in two institutional dimensions of the Republic: In its operation democratic regime at the level of state institutions and in daily right every citizen to determine political decisions continuously through it free of its expression. No only in the electoral process. In its primitive form direct democracy (city-state) is the identification of lord and lord. That is, ο citizen was the only factor exsubstance.
Direct democracy
Direct democracy has become inapplicable for obvious reasons. In the purely representative system the political function of the citizen usually begins and ends with exercise of the right to vote. The meeting place of power and society is electoral process. This autonomy of power vis-.-Vis the represented citizens, led to degenerative phenomena, such as professionalization of policy and distancing (akedia) of citizens by becoming political. Citizen participation in the operation of a healthy democracy is a virtue and requires humility, tolerance, empathy, sense of responsibility and … Exaggerations destroy the Republic. This citizen participation is the best condition dynamic harmonic composition and balance, as well as emergence harmonious relations between citizens. But this requires developed common policy consciousness healthy participation. The watertight distinction between power and society is a thing of the past. The direct participation of the citizen is his conquest, which promotes him as his co-star become a politician.
At each stage of the development process democratic values of equality and freedom, even in the family and at school, conquests do arise, but at the same time new concerns arise in their application. Conflicts of values: equality against hierarchy, freedom against delivery. The need arises fitting of all values. The golden ratio must be found, so that the individual enjoys his freedom and at the same time his maximum possible dignity, self-sufficiency and independence. At the same time, however, solidarity must be ensured so that society does not degenerate into a simple patchwork, threatened with disintegration, as individual interests diverge.
In participatory democracy the insurmountable need arises political education, which is part of holistic education. When we talk about political education we mean political discourse and art, that is citizenship ( politics). Democracy means political legitimacy of state decisions as a holistic function of society. Namely, transforms institutions from abstract constitutional regulation in reality. And here the question arises: is there a possibility of standardization or even idealization of politics as a system of values? Standardization, without taking into account the conditions of each reality she's slim, because the clear meaning of the policy is non-existent. We can not talk about the idealization of Politics, because modern democracy has serious pathogens, such as the phenomenon of news marketing and the political reason he is not who he really is, but the one the media want to present. also, observation with the naked eye is not possible, but reaches the citizen-viewer, as distorted by the "mechanisms" of news. This is how we arrive at its phenomenon "False truth", thus provoking an occult character of public and private policy. The bodies of political functions have varying degrees of democratic maturity with blurred boundaries political ethics and his privately motivated. The "political slanderer" thinks that he finds a way to indulge in his enjoyment, claiming, in fact, his social approval.
Democracy is the pre-eminent state, which presupposes people capable of overcoming the tendency to do so. political instrument of private conduct. Private passion leads to abuse of power. Proper knowledge and information, which are the main weapons of defense against occult and private policy, are very difficult. The diagnosis of the truth with absolute correctness exceeds the cognitive limits of man. Valid scientific knowledge is considered a basic condition for its formation free political will. Scientists, however, as individuals are integrated into society with multiple, confrontations and they themselves are part of the intra-community conflict. There is no more dishonest academic stance than one that claims absolute political and social neutrality in crises over values of human coexistence. This limits its protective function transparency.
The age-old question always arises, should democracy be ruled by the many, that is, the church of the Municipality or by the wise, or is what Aristotle believed to be true: "partially begin and begin"? In the modern globalized situation, issues are not resolved, but are commonly approached. A political and scientific responsibility is required, based on the democratic conscience of the citizens and the rulers. From this interactive relationship emerges to a large extent the required reliability. The emergence of trust requires both scientists and rulers, as well as the majority of citizens, to have a common sense of belonging. The belief that we belong to a single organic whole, which is completed by us and takes care of us with the possibilities that emerge from its harmonious composition and function.
Societies with democratic education recognize the atom as a supreme value. There is clearly a relationship between political establishment democratic regime (popular sovereignty, representative government, rule of law) and the development of of democracy as education. However, there may be very long distance, even for centuries, between the establishment of democracy as a regime and the dissemination within the society of the values of democratic education. When we talk about democratic societies we are referring not to democracy as a regime, but mainly to democracy as culture and education. On citizenship (politics). A set of performances and values which expresses a perception of the existence of our life. In this sense, democratic education should not be confused with the establishment of democracy as a political regime.. The ability to participate in democratic life constitutes virtue. It's an issue education and training and thrives where the excellent measureThe humility as an antidote to alazinesss and h avoiding slavery.
Democratic coexistence is by nature a degree entropy (disorder), due to the fact that a degree is attributed individual freedom. The unity of the social body is constantly at stake, as it relies on conscious discipline and self-discipline. Democracy does not end in elections and parties, but in perpetual democratic education. Those in power are agents and not out of control. The basic principle of equal voting does not constitute either absolute equality. It is not a kind of leveling uniformity and should be considered as equality, equivalence and not abolition of excellence. Excessive promises and declarations become popular, but they are difficult to implement and disappoint!
Democracy is the most subtle invention of the human spirit for social life, as it creates conditions of decentralization and diffusion of power. It is the most effective weapon that man has invented to deal with the foolishness and arrogance that produces any exaggeration.. It is the most beautiful but also the most delicate flower of the human spirit! An evolutionary process always "on the move", which is never complete. Recommends animal power (negative entropy) each of society as a whole. She has to prove every day that she is "alive" and always active. An endless process that looks like flow of responsibility in an energy role for its observance live of the State. It is a constant effort and project of all its members to yield flowers and fruits in fields, such as morals, equal opportunities and the higher forms of human interaction, in beliefs and religious beliefs, in every aspect of public and private life.
The democratic ideal means self-government, that is, it requires self-organization, autonomy, self-management and co-responsibility in everything. It requires active and prudent citizens and goods. Namely cultivated, so that are entitled to a share in the governance of the country. Requires, as a rule, more than citizens are often willing to give. Does not mean bliss, calm, stillness and satiety. Never democratic conquests are not completely protected. Continuous is required anxiety and sleeplessness. The biggest threat is akedia (indifference). In a bad democratic state even virtuous citizens can not act for the benefit of the whole.
Globalized, diverse democracies are constantly facing new dangers. The human personality has been relegated to second place commercial profit. Mass culture has dominated it spiritual cultivation. The awesome inequalityin combination with the extreme atomocracy enhance the barbarity. Education in the vertical didactic sense has lost a significant part of its glamor and essence, due to the horizontal dissemination of a storm of information and imitations through all kinds of media and internet. It is considered an absolutely imperative one Copernican turn in all education, in order to cultivate a spirit among the citizens of brotherhood, similar to that of the micro-society, ie family.
Η state education, citizenship(polity) is the key creation factor healthy society and democracy! In our society it is almost non-existent and has been left to the indiscriminate jurisdiction of irresponsible dissemination of information. At the same time, the overly specialized knowledge, caused pockets of irresponsibility for the average citizen. Thus the illusion that everything is known to all and we all are equal and capable of everything! Individual enjoyment and pleasure are sought primarily. The most important thing is that in democratic coexistence we all have a part of responsibility for the functioning of the State, performing our duties and assisting those in charge in their role. The safe limit of criticism for the omissions of those in charge is not enough. The how should to prevail tth why!
Only in spirit of brotherhood bridging the divisive tendencies caused by the application of the individual freedom equality, diversity, individuality, identity cardς. With the views, positions and assessments expressed, it is easily concluded that a constant care, attention and effort from part of us all for a fuller and lifelong holistic education, to which democratic education belongs, statehood (politics) with the ultimate goal of a healthy Democracy. This is the most important part of our Education, because it puts them foundations of the moral attitude with my neighbor and the whole we belong to. It is directly related to our harmonious integration into the whole. In the context of Democracy, the citizen, as a fundamental subject of Democracy, determines with his attitude and the vision that a ideal State.
And in the case of the Republic, and especially in it, the same applies all things in moderation. Democracy is, perhaps, after Logos the best condition of equilibrium based on the golden ratio (intersection) composition. We would say that it is an emergence of the harmony of relations between citizens in their coexistence, their interaction and the production of collective work. Democracy does not emerge from an overly autonomous level of representativeness, dominated by political professionalism, which keeps the decision-making process away from society. The democratic system must contribute to the development of citizens with political consciousness. A conquest of the citizen and society, which promotes him to co-star of his political becoming. It requires democratic enrichment of representative democracy with an extremely critical, we would say decisively and institutionally guaranteed, possibility of individual and collective participation of the citizen. Freedoms, which are protected by fundamental rights, are no longer just an end in themselves, they have seriously evolved. They are not only a defense of the citizen against the state power, it is now a tool in the hands of the citizen for exercising political influence, for his participation in all kinds of political processes-manifestations: in the economic, social, spiritual, etc. life.
Fundamental rights become the bulwark of the citizen's involvement in shaping public affairs. Their exercise legitimizes the democratic functioning of the State. The constitutional right also becomes a constitutional function. It is a main point of the modern Republic. Democracy began with the citizen, passed to the citizen-voter and evolved into the political citizen, who claims his active political participation. That is, he became homo politicus. Thus the new form of Democracy emerges, constantly enriched with new dimensions and demands from the citizen. The form of participatory democracy.
The urgent need for political education is emerging. Common semantic root of politics with the city, citizen, culture and state. This function survives today and signifies the conception of the operation of each political phenomenon in the context of every state and inter-state formation. Both the City and the State are concepts that have as their content the coexistence of a group of people in a society and in accordance with the law, but above all with moral mindset.
We are encouraged that the future of society is at stake at this delicate point. To create a modern humanity in time with respect for each other. Otherwise society will be driven from evil to worse. Everything that needs to be done needs to be done at the level of Education. Fortunately, many women also enter politics (Mana is always closer to each of us)! This spirit must be embraced by all actors: Family, School, Army, Church, Society !!! To shape first People with values and virtues and then skills.
Motivation for the effort let it be believe that the Republic constitutes supreme persistent value for individual but above all for our social life.
Insurmountable need and duty mlet it be with example our knowledge and persuade us to help the younger ones generations in its consolidation and the partnership in a participatory democracy of all citizens.
In short, we are all obliged to become capable active citizens! Are we? Do we want it? But we have no other solution !!
Dimitris K. Bakas
17 September 2021
