Does Globalization Threaten Democracy?

Abstract

The topic of this article is the correlation between the modern process of globalization and democracy. The agenda starts with the concept of globalization, its different meanings, various layers, traps and paradoxes, consequences and effects, advantages and disadvantages in the horizon of contemporary life. Following a brief theme introduction, the article outlines a short historic philosophical review into the development of globalization from the ancient times to the contemporary world. The focus of the philosophical view is that of two significant authorities and opposite approaches in the process of developing 'World Society' - Immanuel Kant and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel wherein Kant explains the means to the status of 'World Civilty' as a 'Natural Purpose', and Hegel exposes the necessity of the historic global development to the state of global freedom. The question: Does the process of making global society threaten democracy in the modern world - is the key issue nowadays. All agree that the globalization process diminishes the area of authentic political acting. Democracy originates from the 'polis' or small town republic and is a symbol of the government in the small political community. The step from the polis democracy to the national state democracy was the result of change from the direct to the representative democracy. The transition from the national to the supranational and global politics requires new essential transformation of the being of democracy.