Perspective chapter: Democracy beyond rationality

Abstract

The ideal model of democracy is based on the assumption that voters make informed decisions on public issues on the basis of rational considerations, informed by arguments and deliberation. However, individuals obviously rely on their emotions as voters as much as consumers. This is not a new phenomenon, but the rise of digital and social media and the rise of populist politics in the 2010s have completely challenged the traditional understanding of democracy based on rational discourse. Building on the notion of the public sphere and the human rights jurisprudence that uses it, the chapter shows that the theoretical notion of democracy is inseparable from rational political discourse, and then examines how populism emerging within a democratic framework permanently dismantles this rational discourse. Populism is presented essentially as a political communication strategy, with its means and effects. Ultimately, the chapter seeks to answer the question of whether an emotionally overheated and thus extremely polarised society is still capable of solving its common problems within a democratic framework.