Treść książki

Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
TheRiskofRelaxing:theDeterminantstheDeterminantsofPublicDiscourse...
theonlyformofsocialandpoliticalorder.Inpolitics,thecharacteristicincon-
sistencyisclearlyvisible.Ontheonehand,therulesofrationalityarebecom-
ingmoreandmoreimportant.“Thepuresttypeofexerciseoflegalauthority”
Weberwrites,“isthatwhichemploysabureaucraticadministrativestaff.”7On
theotherhand,therearesometendenciesthathavelittleincommonwiththe
patternsof“intentional-rational”action.
Atthispointeverythinggetscomplicated.Thegeneral,formalruleof
validationcreatestheprincipleofrepresentation,whichmeansexposingthe
roleofcriticaldebateandparliaments,butinfactasWeberpointsout“par-
liamentarizationanddemocratizationarenotnecessarilyinterdependent,but
oftenopposedtooneanother.”8Indemocracy,theroleofcharismawillalso
playasignicantrole,aswellasthetendencytodisplaytradition(thisright,
proper,consistentwiththepointofviewofaspiringmembersoftheparty).
Beside,andsometimesinsteadof,criticaldebate,demagogywillplayagreat
role;and“asuccessfuldemagogue,”Weberemphasizes,“ishewhoismost
unscrupulousinhiswooingofthemasses.”9Recruitingessentiallyreplaces
theconceptsofactionrelatedtotheidealofcriticaldebate.Partiesandparty
demagoguesareengagedinrecruitingsupportersratherthanconvincingand
developingarguments.Democraticlogosareoftenshapedbyemotions,pas-
sions,andinstatesofcollectivehypnosis.“Democratizationanddemagogy,”
Weberunderlines,“belongtogether.”Thisoftenmeans“thecaesaristmode
ofselection.”10
However,aslongaswetalkaboutlegaldomination,theelementofpublic
validationplaysadecisiverole.Modernityrevealsacertaincontradiction
thattakesshapeinclashingthepatternsofcriticalrationalitywithdemagogy
andcaesarism,butwithoutaparliamentaryformoflegitimization,wewould
notbeabletotalkaboutlegaldominationatall.Theexistenceofthepublic
sphereandpublicdebateisaconditionsinequanonofallpracticesthatmean
subordinationofpoliticstothelogicof“intentional-rational”action.
PublicSpherePatternsofCriticalRationality.
Letmethereforeintroducefromamodelperspectivetheissueofthepub-
licsphere,stressingthedecisivepublicdebateforshapingthepatternsof
criticalrationality.Itisinthepublicspherethattheprinciplesofconduct
gaininimportance,whichwillallowustospeakaboutlegaldomination,
whichisexpressedinobediencebasedonrationalargumentation.
7Ibid.,164.
8Ibid.,166.
9Ibid.,170.
10Ibid.,171.
25