Postmoderná (ne)aktuálnosť demokracie

In this study democratic institutions are analyzed historically to provide background for ongoing democratic debate on legitimacy which is crucial for justification of democracy as the best government form. It also deals with conditions of participatory democracy in the past and theoretical expectations of its current development. It is opposed here to postmodern criticism that democracy failed to generate concrete proposals for political action or analysis. Although postmodern analysis of democracy reveals a provocative and compelling interpretation of its meaning that testifies to its uncertain and indeterminate character, it is shown here that crossing the border lines drawn by moder doesn ́t necessery move forward to better shaped political institutions. Because of that it is focused on the character of democracy as a form of society that enables critical reflection and activism. In spite of the apparent victory of the liberal-capitalist-Western world order, there is still the oportunity for re-thinking the concept of democracy in the ways which lead to improvement.