Democracy and Democratism: The Anatomy of Two Anthropologies

This text is a profound conceptual analysis, separating democracy, understood as a technical mechanism for civilizing power, from democratism, a form of ideology. Drawing on the work of Bogusław Wolniewicz, the author emphasizes that the essence of a democratic system lies in the individual's responsibility to the community, not merely in collective decision-making. By juxtaposing Jean-Jacques Rousseau's political anthropology with Thomas Jefferson's model, the article demonstrates the evolution of thinking about human nature and its impact on institutional architecture. A key element of the argument is the concept of an "architecture of restraint" and a system of "checks and balances" intended to protect society from majority tyranny and populism. In an era of contemporary challenges, such as the impact of digital algorithms, the text reminds us of the need to return to proven mechanisms of restraint in order to preserve authentic civic freedom.