Freedom or Equality: The Dilemmas of Democracy and Liberalism

This article addresses the difficult topic of the relationship between democracy and freedom, questioning their identity. Through an analysis of the thought of classics such as Tocqueville and Kuehnelt-Leddihn, the text demonstrates how the pursuit of egalitarianism can lead to the uniformity of society and the emergence of so-called benign despotism. The author points to the danger of tyranny of the majority, where democratic mechanisms become a tool for limiting the autonomy of minorities in the name of a misconceived common good. The analysis also encompasses contemporary systemic pathologies, including Polish partiocracy and clientelism, emphasizing the role of institutional constraints in protecting individuals from the masses. This is a profound reflection on whether the contemporary welfare state is becoming a form of pastoral authority that, under the guise of care, deprives citizens of their subjectivity.